


Trust Me, For I Am All You Have

by ToffeeFifi



Category: Undertale
Genre: Grillby is the best dad, Grillby needs to work out, I need to gain some weight, Okay that's it, Papyrus is a cinnamon roll, Sans Has Issues, Sans Has Night Terrors, Sans Needs A Hug, Sans is a cute tsundere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-06-23 22:26:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15616368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToffeeFifi/pseuds/ToffeeFifi
Summary: Grillby was just another monster working in the underground. His bar was by far the most popular in all of Snowdin and Waterfall. His life was just as normal as the other monsters around him.One night, however, he found two small skeletons peeking around at the back of his bar. Now, you wouldn't leave two children in the harsh blizzard, would you? So, what did Grillby do?He took them in, of course.





	1. Working Way Too Hard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya everyone. This is my first UnderTale fic on this site, I've done a couple others, but they're cringy as fuck.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy Grillby being a papa for Sans and Papyrus!

Grillby's was by far the most popular bar in all of Snowdin. It was well known for it's quick service and friendly atmosphere, but more for the main, and only, bartender.

Grillby stood by the counter, cleaning a tall wine glass as per the usual as he watched his friends drink away. His glasses sat atop his nose, though none of the monsters were even sure if that was a nose or not (they never asked as that would be too rude of them), and his stoic expression ceased to change. Not even when there was a smash as a glass shattered onto the floor and all the customers began cheering, Grillby barely flinched. He was so used to these events happening around him, more so in his own bar.

 

 _'Doggo, could you get off the table please?'_ Grillby hummed as he placed the glass inside the cabinet.

 

"Huh? But 'm pretty sure this is t'e floor!" Doggo howled, waving a bottle of whiskey in the air. Grillby let out an irritated sigh, turning to the Royal Guardsman. Poor dog was blind and made fun of. Everyone loved playing pranks on him, whether it be walking straight into the icy cold stream below them or just plain walking into a pole.

 

 _'I assure you, you are standing on my table. Could you please get off?'_ Grillby repeated to the drunken guard.

 

"Eh, sure thing! Greater Dog, help me w'th this." Doggo hiccuped, reaching an arm out for the other dog to grab. Greater Dog gladly barked, helping Doggo off the table and back on his feet.

 

"G'boy... **hic**." Doggo murmured, petting the dog. Greater panted frantically as he cuddled into his armor at the touch of Doggo's hand. Grillby sighed in relief, one dillema solved...at least....for now. Grillby placed the cloth down on the counter, as he got up to clean the broken glass off the floor. Now that he thought about it, he really needed to get an employee.

 

"Grillby."

 

The flame monster lifted his head up at his name, turning to face the dogs, who were now beginning to take their lead. The one who had spoken up was Dogamy. He and his wife were standing by the counter, axes in hand, while Lesser Dog was busy carrying a veeeerrry drunk Doggo on his back. Greater Dog was happily lapping at his cheeks, sending the guard in a fit of giggles.

 

"We'll be leaving now." Dogamy announced.

 

 _"We would hate it if Undyne caught us taking breaks without permission."_ Dogaressa purred.

 

"You know how angry she gets." Dogamy added. Grillby nodded at the two as he set the black bag onto the floor.

 

 _'That is quite alright, my friend.'_ The fire elemental replied as Dogamy began searching in his bags for money.

 

"Here," Dogamy began, setting around 16G onto the counter. "Thanks for the drinks again, Grillby."

 

 _'Anytime. Could you make sure Doggo gets home safely? I wouldn't want him ending up in the library again. Asgore knows how long he had been in there.'_ Grillby advised, causing the dog to chuckle heartily.

 

"Don't worry." Dogamy laughed.

 

 _"We'll make sure he doesn't leave the house drunk."_ Dogaressa giggled beside him.

 

 _'Take care, my friends.'_ Grillby waved, watching as the dog family left his bar. The place became surprisingly quiet when they left, as if they were the only bit of entertainment the customers had. Of course, they had work to do, so they couldn't stay for long.

 

It was barely ten minutes after the dogs had left before Grillby heard the shrill scream of a female monster. A drunken fox was harassing her, forcing her to kiss him and give him her number. The bartender set down the cloth as he paused cleaning the counter, before making his way towards the two.

* * *

 

Soon enough, nighttime had drawn in and everyone began to leave the bar, each saying their goodbyes to the flame monster. Grillby was just about done locking up the drinks cabinet, and was planning to move onto locking the front door, when he noticed a slumped over figure sitting by a table in the corner of the bar. Frowning at the sight, the bartender made his way to the customer.

 

Grillby bent slightly, just enough to see the monster's face and realised it was Suzy. She had been coming to Grillby's ever since the third soul had been collected, and seemed so down since. So, she decided to drink away at Grillby's, maybe a little too much each time. Suzy always managed to drink at least three bottles on her own, before passing out at the table for the remainder of the day. Gently placing a warm hand on Suzy's shoulder, Grillby slowly shook her.

 

 _'Suzy....I believe it is closing time.'_ Grillby softly said. The bunny just opened her eyes a crack before letting out a groan.

 

"Le've me 'lone...." She mumbled, curling in on herself.

 

 _'Suzy, I'm sure your mother would not like to pick you up for the fourth time this week.'_ Grillby firmly stated, to which she groaned again. The monster waited for a short while, but Suzy didn't budge from her spot. So, the last option Grillby had was to try and bribe her.

 

 _'I will try and save a cinnamon bunny for you tomorrow, alright?'_ Suzy lifted her head up just barely enough to look Grillby in the face. _'Just try and get some rest.'_

 

The bunny finally got out of the seat, making her way out of the door. She hesitated at the doorstep, before turning to the bartender.

 

"You....you promise?" Suzy shakily asked. Something about her seemed really off to Grillby. Just months ago, when the first human had fallen, she had seemed really bubbly. But now, Suzy had fallen into a state of depression, one of which the stoic monster had never seen. Grillby respectfully nodded, watching as her tensed shoulders relaxed.

 

 _'I promise.'_ Grillby answered.

 

"R...right. Right...uhm...s-see you tomorrow..." Suzy stammered, leaving the bar. Grillby watched her walk down the street for a bit, before locking the front doors and switching the lights off. He was worried about her health, but of course he did. Grillby was a kind hearted monster and wanted nothing but the best of his friends.

 

After a long day of cleaning up broken glass, Grillby was absolutely exhausted. He barely had the strength to stand up any longer. Unfortunately for him, the trash still needed to be taken out. Taking the two bags of pure glass pieces in both hands, Grillby began making his way to the back of the bar, where all the trash was kept. Wait, wasn't it Thursday today? Ice Wolf would be coming to take away the trash tomorrow and dumping it in the Waterfall dump. That place was made for human and monster trash. Well, mainly human trash since it was the first trash that had fallen there.

 

Pushing open the back door, Grillby was just about to place the bags into the cans, but hesitated when he noticed two figures standing in front of him. It was rather dark out, but he could just about see their features due to the light seeping in from the kitchen. They were both male skeleton monsters, that was the first detail that had caught Grillby's eyes. It was surprising, to say the least; skeleton monsters hadn't been seen ever since the war.

 

One of them was slightly taller than the other. He was wearing an old, worn out grey cardigan and blue trousers. The fabric that the trousers were made out of seemed very cheap, as if it had been woven by...spiders? Grillby made a mental note not to purchase any clothing...make that any _thing_ from that crazy woman down in Hotland. His shoes seemed very old too, having several holes as his skeletal toes stuck out the front.

 

The other was very short, almost like a child. He wore average clothing, much more comfortable than what the other was wearing. An orange turtleneck sweater, along with a blue parka jacket was wrapped around his shoulders, a bright red scarf tied around his neck. His trousers and shoes also looked normal, aside from a couple of scrapes and scratches here and there.

 

It was a brief moment of silence between the three monsters, as Grillby was too busy thinking if he should call them over or not. Hold on, these were only children right? And they must have been walking around the underground, otherwise the smaller one wouldn't be holding a half eaten cinnamon bunny in his tiny hands. Grillby looked around for any adults standing by, these kids were too young to be on their own! As he scoured outside, he saw no traces of any other monster being outside; they had all gone to bed. When Grillby turned back to get a better look at the two, he stumbled in his steps.

 

The children were gone.

 

Blinking, the usually stoic monster peered around for a bit, seeing no monsters for miles. That was strange. Where could they have run off to in the five seconds that he was looking around town? Placing the trash bags into the bins, Grillby readjusted his glasses before making his way back inside his house.

 

Something in his soul told him this wasn't the only time he would see those two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, snayup! Dey be gone XD
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> Also, after reading this chapter a couple of times after watching vines, I couldn't help but think it's like when you see a spider and you turn around to go grab a weapon; but then when you look back it's gone.
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> Okay, so what do you guys think of it so far? I, personally, find it extremely cringey.


	2. What You Must Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blizzards hit and Grillby has two options; leave them or bring them in. But of course he's not just going to leave them in the freezing cold!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so exhausted after drawing Grillby for so long I think I even skipped lunch. Man, he's just so difficult with that flame head of his!
> 
> Anyway, enough of me rambling about my sketching problems, onto the chapter!

Glancing out the window, Grillby's flames flickered in worry. A storm was brewing outside and it wouldn't be long until a blizzard hit. The snow had been gradually piling up to the door, and he knew that by the time the blizzard would calm down, his doorstop would become a snowstop. But the more the bartender thought about the weather, the more he couldn't stop thinking about those two children he had seen last night. They had parents....right? Grillby's flames slowly died out as he thought deeply about the latter. If these children were just walking around Snowdin with no parents and no stable housing or food, then that would mean the worst for them. And Grillby certainly didn't want to hear about monster's finding dust coating the streets. Of course, dust was very hard to find due to the thick layer of snow blanketing the town. If a monster fell down in the town _(Gosh darn it that rhymed!)_ , then it would be as if they had vanished in the wind. Grillby was not fully content with the idea of monsters just disappearing overnight, and to not return again. What...what if that happened to the children? Grillby might not ever see them and no other monster had been reporting strange sightings, other than -

 

**"Grillby?"**

 

Grillby lifted his head to see a Snowdrake looking at him with the same concerned expression. Gazing down at his hands, the fire element noticed he had drifted off in the middle of handing the monster her order. Grillby shook his head, trying to get any horrible thoughts out of his mind and placed the glass of orange juice into the Snowdrake's hands.

 

 _'I deeply apologise, Freya. I was thinking about...'_ Grillby bit down on his invisible tongue, stopping himself short. No one else seemed to had seen any skeletons walking around, so he covered up for himself. _'The weather tonight.'_

 

It wasn't entirely a lie.

 

"Hey, don't worry about it, Grillbz. Things happen." Freya smiled, taking the glass and sipping from it.

 

 _'I believe we had a discussion about this last week. My name is Grillby, not Grillbz.'_ Grillby stated, a bit fond of Freya's mischevious behavior. It reminded him very much of his niece, Fuku. She had left to go to the school in the Capital, and lived in Hotland. She came to visit during the holidays to spend time with her uncle, but that was a rare event.

 

Freya shrugged, placing the glass onto the table once she had downed it. "Eh, Grillbz suits ya." She winked at him, before sliding off the velvet red stools and taking out some gold. "Be safe!" Freya waved, walking out the door.

 

Grillby sighed deeply as he looked at the 5G in his gloved hands. Guess he had to close up now; the blizzard would be starting shortly. Getting up to lock the doors, Grillby placed the gold into his pockets, before drawing the blinds. He was beginning to get out his keys when he heard some rustling coming from the back room. Grillby tilted his head towards the noise and slowly placed the keys back into his pockets.

 

There was definitely something there. Jumping to the conclusion that it was a few pests, Grillby took hold of a broom and made his way to the room. Pushing open the door, he glanced around to see what was making the noise and practically tripped over his own foot.

 

There, digging into his trash cans and throwing away old boxes, was the skeleton he had seen the past night. The moment Grillby has stepped out of the door, the skeleton scrambled to his feet and glared at the flame monster, an old packet of ketchup and some marshmallows in his clenched hands.

 

Grillby looked the child over; it seemed to him that the skeleton hadn't slept in days, maybe even weeks. Bags had begun to appear under his eye sockets, though Grillby thought that was impossible for skeleton monsters. Maybe it was the magic? His jagged breathing and the way he was shaking was what had caught Grillby's attention. He seemed so weak, almost as if he would fall dow-....

 

The bartender's gaze move towards the other skeleton, who was standing watch by the walls of the bar. Although he was rather young and probably lacking any nutrition, he looked much healthier than the elder. Grillby noticed that the older skeleton knew he was staring at the other, and he quickly ran to shield the younger of the two. Poor things, they looked so scared. Grillby did the one thing any monster with a frame of mind would do; he spoke to them.

 

 _'Hello there.'_ It was a perfectly innocent greeting, or so Grillby thought. The taller of the two skeletons growled lowly as he kept his body over the other. Maybe they didn't trust him yet?

 

 _'Would you like to come inside? There is a blizzard due and I would rather have you warm than freezing to...'_ Grillby stopped right there. That word definitely did not need to be said, especially not in front of children. However, the older skeleton seemed to notice the hesitation in Grillby's voice.

 

"how do i know you won't hurt us?" He growled. He had a surprisingly deep voice for a child, but it was also raspier than most adults. Grillby slowly placed the broom down at the tone of his voice. He seemed very suspicious of Grillby's intentions, and didn't trust the flame monster at all.

 

 _'I assure you, my only intentions are to keep you two safe until the blizzard calms down.'_ Grillby calmly said. The skeleton scoffed and dug his feet deeper into the snow.

 

"yeah, right." There was a hint of sarcasm in that response, but Grillby paid no mind to it.

 

"SANS...."

 

What...

 

What was **that**?

 

Oh..... _OH_...oh, that's right. Grillby had almost completely forgotten about the younger skeleton. Looking down to face him, Grillby's flames slowly began turning to a light blue color. Stars, this child was adorable. He was tugging on the other's ratty sleeves with one hand, while the other was busy trying to readjust the oversized scarf.

 

"not now, pap..." The elder hushed, lightly batting his hand away. The younger seemed very irritated by his response and pouted.

 

" _I_ TRUST HIM." The smaller one stated, crossing his arms. Grillby's flames slowly returned to it's original color, as he watched the two bicker. If he knew the two fully and personally, he would have told then they look absolutely adorable.

 

"pap, you know we can't trust anyone-" The elder began.

 

"NO. NOT **ALL** MONSTERS ARE BAD, SANS. JUST THE ONES WE MET WERE." Pap, Grillby assumed, huffed.

 

"how do we know he won't hurt us like the last monster? huh?!" Sans hissed, holding Pap's hand tight so he wouldn't run off. _"don't you dare go towards him. do you hear me?"_

 

"EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T HAVE EARS, I CAN HEAR YOU. BUT I'M STILL..." Pap began struggling in Sans' hold, before he finally released himself. "...GOING!"

 

Grillby watched as the smaller monster began to slowly approach him, while Sans watched with empty eye sockets. His skeletal mouth was contorted into a scowl as he kept a watchful eye on the other. Pap stopped when he reached Grillby, and beamed up at him.

 

"HELLO, MISTER! COULD YOU HELP ME AND MY BROTHER? WE NEED SOMEWHERE TO SLEEP." Pap innocently asked, rocking back and forth on his heels. Grillby carefully got down on his knees and raised a hand. His eyes flickered between Sans and Pap, from the child-like smile, to the furious frown. He carefully reached for Pap's skull and gently rubbed it. The child giggled in content, as Grillby's flames calmed.

 

 _'I have some spare rooms in my home. Would you like to stay here until the blizzard is over?'_ Grillby suggested.

 

"THAT WOULD BE AMAZING!" Pap beamed, his eye sockets practically sparkling, though Grillby wasn't entirely sure how. His head turned towards his older brother and his hand waved frantically in the air. "SANS, HE SAID HE HAS SPARE ROOMS!"

 

The other skeleton didn't seem as if he would move from his spot, and instead was glaring daggers at Grillby. The fire element was aware that Sans didn't fully trust him, or even trust him at all, but it didn't hurt to try.

 

 _'I assure you, I will do my best to keep you and your brother safe during this storm. I have no intentions of hurting either of you.'_ Grillby said. Sans raised a bone brow and continued to glare. _'Cross my soul.'_

 

"SEE, SANS! HE PROMISED!" Pap said, earning an annoyed sigh from his brother.

 

"...fine." Sans muttered, making his way towards the adult. "but if he dares to hurt you, i will stop him..." He mumbled under his breath.

 

As Sans stood by his brother, Grillby began reaching for Sans' head. Before he could place a warm hand on his skull, a bone pierced through his hand, causing him to lose 1HP. Wincing and drawing his hand back, Grillby looked at the skeleton, who was staring back at him with empty sockets.

 

**"don't. touch me."**

Nodding solemnly, Grillby opened up the door as Pap lectured his brother. 

"SANS, THAT WASN'T VERY NICE!" He cried. 

"don't care." Sans calmly snapped. Pap huffed at this slightly, before rushing inside. Grillby was about to lead in, when a hand grabbing his sleeve made him stop. Turning around to face Sans, Grillby noticed that he was holding a couple of sharp bone attacks. 

"you hurt my bro and i'll hurt you. **capiche**?" Sans snarled, his grip tightening on the set of bones in his hand. 

_'I understand.'_ Grillby responded, nodding. The bones fizzled in thin air as the monster called it off. 

"good." Sans grumbled, stuffing his hands into his pockets and following his brother inside. Grillby watched as the two brothers wearily checked their surroundings, slowly shutting the door behind him. 

_Just what was he getting himself into?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .....
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> **'I'm going to keep Papyrus.'**
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> Is what you're probably thinking. But I don't blame you; he is a cinnamon roll!
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> And yes, Sans is currently salty towards Grillby, but don't worry. He'll come out of his shell eventually.
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> Leave a comment if you'd like. I don't bite haha.
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> No, seriously. I need you guys' opinion on this. Am I doing good? Am I doing okay? Am I doing a lot of things wrong? Are they out of character? **Am I goInG iNsaNe?!!**


	3. Those Who Enter A Flame's Household

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grillby gets the skelebros accustomed to their new home.
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> But that is so difficult when they don't even know what a sink is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My god, I have bad period cramps so I'm just writing this to keep my mind off of it. AaaHH PAIN....
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> Also, thank you guys for so much kudos! I've only done two chapters so far and it seems like a lot of you really enjoy it. Thanks again! ♥

The brightly glowing flame watched as the children stepped into his home, marvelling at each and everything they passed. If he looked closer and squinted past his glasses, Grillby could see that Sans had a tight grip on Pap's hand, so he wouldn't run off and possibly break something. That was the least of the fire monster's worries; first, however, he needed to get them into more comfortable clothing than these....rags.

 

 _'Sans.'_ Grillby noticed Sans flinching at the sound of his name coming from the other monster. _'It is Sans, right?'_

 

"yeah." Sans almost too quickly replied, scooting away from the bartender. Grillby made a mental note to keep his distance, for now, at least.

 

 _'Could you take Pap to the bathroom and clean up?'_ Grillby began.

 

"papyrus."

 

 _'Sorry?'_ The bartender blinked. Sans looked at him directly with his empty eye sockets.

 

"his name is papyrus." Sans firmly said, not turning away from the monster. Papyrus? So then that meant Pap was a nickname? Stars, what was wrong with skeletons and naming their children after font types? It was rather unique....

 

 _'Ah, right. I do apologise.'_ Grillby replied, as Sans didn't seem too convinced. The flame monster turned to the bags in his hand, and Sans' grip on the two items tightened. _'May I have those?'_ Sans only pushed the bags away from Grillby's reach, and he recognised it as a form of distrust.

 

 _'I will give them back when you are both cleaned up. You have my word.'_ Grillby sternly promised. Hesitantly placing the two items into the flame's hands, Sans backed away from Grillby. _'Now I would like you two to get cleaned up in the bathroom.'_

 

"WHAT'S A...BA....BATHROOM?" Papyrus innocently asked, fiddling with the oversized jacket. Grillby blinked in surprise, while Sans looked as if he was ready to kick himself in the shin. What for, the bartender had no idea why.

 

 _'You...you do not know what a bathroom is?'_ Grillby asked, still in shock that they were at this age and didn't know what a simple restroom was. Papyrus shook his head, humming a "MHM." while Sans' eye sockets, once again, went empty.

 

Grillby straightened himself, looking the two over. It seemed to him that they hadn't showered in weeks, and probably didn't eat proper food either. Whatever could have happened to these children to make them like this? Grillby swore on his very soul to protect these two the best he could, even if one of them didn't trust him. He would show them the kind hearted monster he was, and give them extra care and special needs.

 

 _'Well then,'_ Grillby began, noticing that Sans had flinched at his voice again. _'I suppose I'll have to show you then. Follow me.'_ The flame began to move swiftly up the stairs, towards the bathroom where he began to run a warm bath. Do skeletons feel warmth? After all, they are just bones.... Whatever, it was not important at the moment. Grillby began rummaging through the cupboards for the bubble gum bubble bath solution that Fuku had left behind a few weeks ago. Those children needed to be extra clean.

* * *

Downstairs, the two brothers were whispering to each other, trying not to disturb the stranger. He seemed to be doing something upstairs, and they heard rushing water.

 

"let's go." Sans said, as Papyrus' head snapped towards him.

 

"WHAT? WHY?" Papyrus whispered the best he could. The other just jerked his head up to the stairs and began to take hold of Papyrus' hand.

 

"he's made of fire. you know that fire monsters can burn us." Sans addressed, stating it as if it was the obvious answer.

 

"YES, BUT HE HASN'T BURNT US YET. HE WOULD HAVE DONE THE MOMENT HE SAW US LOOKING THROUGH HIS THINGS." Papyrus argued, his small skull making it's way towards the staircase once again. It wasn't much, but it was enough.

 

"he's just gaining our trust so that he can hurt us later on. haven't you learnt anything from that crazy cat back in hotland?" Sans hissed.

 

"I KNOW YOU DON'T TRUST HIM, SANS. BUT SOMEHOW..." Papyrus looked down at his chest and possibly even his own soul. "....I KNOW HE'LL BE DIFFERENT. I...I KNOW HE'LL KEEP US SAFE. A-AND READ BEDTIME STORIES. AND HELP US WHEN WE'RE SICK." Papyrus looked up to see Sans smiling sadly at him. "CAN YOU JUST HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF HOPE, BROTHER...?"

 

"c'mere..." Sans said, pulling his little brother into a hug. That was what Sans cherished most about his brother; he knew that everyone could be a good person if they wanted to, even though Sans hated that false hope. But maybe, just maybe...things would be different.

 

He and his brother could play in the snow all they wanted without being worried that they would be seen. They could eat actual food and laugh like any brothers would. Despite all the negativity Sans was thinking about, he sure wished with all his soul this would be the future he and his brother had been looking for.

 

.........

 

........

 

.........

 

..........

 

.........

 

_**0.5 HP RESTORED** _

 

**SANS**

 

**ATK 1. DEF 1**

 

**HP 1 / 11**

 

*** Has a newfound HoPe**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hell yes! Restore that HP as much as you can, Sans! Go and have faith in yourself! Whoooo!
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> What? No, I'm not getting you all happy right now to be heartbroken near the end! What kind of person would do that!?
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> Also, I just had to add the bubble gum bubble bath solution in. It was my fucking childhood growing up. I remember the pirate selection ones too, where you had to screw the pirate's head off to open the packet, and it would have like a little joke on the packet. mmmmmMMMM-
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> I miss childhood now....
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> Anyway, thanks for reading once again! Love y'all!!


	4. Some Getting Used To

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans and Papyrus take a warm bath together while Grillby fixes up a meal for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **ATTENTION SINNERS!!**
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> This was unintentional, completely not to make it sound like fontcest, please don't attack me for making them take a bath together. I used to do that with my brothers when I was little, so I find nothing wrong with it. Besides, it's not like they are aware of what genitals are.
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> Okay, rant over, keep reading.

Turning the taps shut, the flame looked at the body of water in his bathtub. It did look rather warm, and there were not that much steam evaporating from it. He decided it was warm enough and quickly headed off to his bedroom to grab a towel that he had almost never used. You know, fire...water...not mix...eh, forget it.

 

After placing the towel onto the towel rack, Grillby made his way towards the stairs to call the two brothers up, though he hesitated in his actions. He watched from afar as the skeletons hugged each other, whispering something that Grillby could not make out. If he were not a stranger to them, he would have made a sarcastic comment. Once Grillby was sure they were done, Grillby cleared his throat, well...what looked like a throat. No one could tell if he had one or not, due to the vast amount of fire that he was literally made up of and-

 

 _'I have the bath done. Would you two like to come up?'_ Grillby questioned.

 

"YES PLEASE!" Papyrus smiled, nodding his head vigorously. Grillby was afraid that if he nodded anymore, his skull would practically fall off. The monster shuddered at the thought, watching as Papyrus bounced up the stairs. Literally. He was like a hyperactive child who was trying to be put to bed, and it just grew a spot in Grillby's soul. Sans, on the other hand, seemed to be trudging up the stairs, as if he didn't want to be here anymore. Stars, he looked so fragile, as if one bop to the head would dust him. Grillby hated thinking such things, but the frail monster standing in front of him just couldn't seem to stop bringing those thoughts to the flames head. Grillby made a mental note to keep his magic and flames altogether away from Sans. Who knows what would happen if-

**"so are you just going to stand there gawking or will you show us where you're taking us?"**

Grillby blinked as he saw Sans standing in his vision, one arm crossed over his chest while the other was holding Papyrus' wrist.

 _'I...I do apologise. I was...thinking.'_ Grillby apologised. Sans just scoffed as his arm was yanked at by an excited Papyrus, who was trying to go into each of the rooms.

 

"SO WHICH ONE IS THE BUTHROOM?" Papyrus giddily asked.

 

 _'Bathroom.'_ Grillby corrected the child, to which Sans growled lowly at. _'It is the last room in this hallway.'_

Grillby watched as the two brothers made their way towards the bathroom, glancing at the warm water. Papyrus dipped a phalange into it, before pulling it out and turning towards Grillby.

 

"HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DRINK THIS MUCH?" Papyrus innocently asked. Grillby put a hand to his mouth as he stifled a chuckle, while Sans lightly slapped his brother's hand.

 

"papyrus, don't say that!" Sans hissed.

 

"OH! U-UM, I MEAN, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US WATER...BUT I DON'T THINK WE CAN DRINK ALL OF THIS. ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THOSE BUBBLES THAT SMELL REALLY NICE." Papyrus said.

 

 _'Papyrus,'_ Grillby began, noticing that Sans had flinched again. _'This type of water is not the same as drinking water.'_

 

"REALLY?" Papyrus queried, tilting his head. Stars, was this kid just the cherry on the top of the adorable scale.

 

 _'Yes. This water is very special,'_ Papyrus leaned closer into the water to get a good look at it. _'With this water, monsters clean their bodies to make sure they stay healthy. Monsters clean themselves everyday to keep themselves especially healthy.'_ Grillby said, placing the towel onto the towel rack. _'This is called taking a bath.'_

"I WANNA TAKE A BATH!!" Papyrus cheered, raising a fist to the air as the oversized jacket nearly fell off. Sans readjusted the jacket into his brother's shoulders, glaring at Grillby.

 

"i assume this includes removing our clothes, am i right?" Sans asked, his eye sockets gradually becoming empty. Grillby knew what Sans was implying and nodded.

 

 _'Of course. But I can leave you two be if that's what you'd like.'_ Grillby suggested.

 

"as if you'd do that." Sans snorted. "you'll just be hiding in the corner, waiting for the perfect moment."

 

"SANS, DON'T BE RUDE. HE'S JUST BEING NICE!" Papyrus pouted, slipping off the bright red scarf.

 

"pap, what are you doing?" Sans snarled.

 

"TAKING A BATH." Papyrus simply replied, holding out the scarf to Grillby. "COULD YOU HOLD THIS FOR ME, MISTER?"

 

Grillby took the scarf carefully into his hands, making sure to fold it neatly. _'Just Grillby is fine.'_  
Papyrus beamed at the monster, before removing the parka jacket and another sweater, before being left in a shirt and trousers. The bartender assumed that Sans would not remove any of his clothes until he had left, so he did not bother the elder. Grillby held all the clothing in a neat pile across his arms, before nodding at the two.

 

 _'I'll leave you two to your bath. In the meantime, I will fix a meal for us to enjoy.'_ Grillby announced, placing a hand on the doorknob. _'Once you are done, you may call me.'_ And with that, Grillby left the two be.

* * *

Placing the stack of clothing on the desk, Grillby let out a long, and deep sigh. Those two looked very malnourished, despite being a bunch of bones. And the more he thought about it, the more he had realised that Papyrus had more clothing than Sans. Perhaps Sans had just been worried about his younger brother's health over his own? Whatever it was, Sans looked extremely weak. It would take weeks, maybe even months for him to recover his full health.

 

Glancing over at the two abandoned packets, he skimmed over the best by date. Grillby scrunched his face in disgust and politely placed them back into the bins. He would look for much fresher treats for the two to enjoy. At the moment, he needed to fix a proper meal. One that would restore their health and vitamins.

 

The flame monster glided over to his kitchen, grabbing a cookbook out of one of the drawers and began skimming through. It had been long since Grillby had to go all-out to make a meal, since he works at a bar. Peering over the recipes for about 20 minutes, Grillby settled on some spaghetti, along with tall glasses of milk. The bartender almost immediately got to work, hoping the two knew how to take a decent bath.

* * *

After Grillby had left, Papyrus got straight to work. He slipped off his clothing before jumping into the bathtub, his small skull sinking under the water. Sans had frozen in place, and was just about to go and grab his brother, when he saw a body popping out.

 

"papyrus!!" Sans growled, once he had come up.

 

"SANS, THESE BUBBLES TASTE REALLY NICE!" Papyrus giggled, sticking out a small orange tongue. A couple of bubbles were placed onto it, and they were slowly disintegrating. Sans let out a small chuckle, before beginning to slip off his shirt.

 

"i don't think you're supposed to eat those, bro." Sans stated, placing his clothes onto the towel rack beside said towel.

 

"BUT THEY DO! TRY THEM!" Papyrus beamed, holding out a few bubbles in his hand. Sans politely pushed them away as he slipped into the bathtub beside his brother.

 

"i think i'll pass." Sans said.

 

"SO....HOW DO WE TAKE A BATH?" Papyrus asked, placing a bubbly phalange onto his nose, causing him to sneeze. Sans gazed around the surroundings of the bathroom, before standing up and reaching for a brush.

"i think we use this." Sans said, dipping the brush into the bubbly water. In a matter of seconds, the brush had become extremely foamy.

 

"OH! CAN I GO FIRST?" Papyrus questioned, reaching out for the brush. Sans gladly gave it to him and watched his brother scrub his ribs.

 

"if you can't reach your back, i'll clean it for you." Sans said. "watch out for your soul...."

 

"I GOT IT!" Papyrus said, gently brushing around his soul, making sure not to touch the delicate thing. The upside down heart hummed in response as Papyrus giggled. He got to cleaning his humerus, scapula and femur, before asking Sans for help. The elder took the brush and got to cleaning Papyrus' back, careful not to damage any of his bones.

"SANS," Papyrus began.

 

"yeah, bro?" Sans answered, concentrating on each scrub.

 

"WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MR GRILLBY?"

 

The question alone had caused Sans to cease scrubbing. Papyrus turned his skull to the side to see that Sans' eye sockets had emptied, turning into the empty void once again.

 

 **"y o u w a n t m y h o n e s t o p i n i o n ?"** Sans questioned, dragging each word out slowly; was enough to terrify anyone.

 

"SANS. I WANT THE COMPLETE AND HONEST TRUTH." Papyrus sighed.

 

"well, for starters, he really is nosy. pokin' into other people's business'." Sans huffed. "smart mouth too. but...for some reason...i dunno, but i feel like this is the guy."

 

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" Papyrus slowly asked.

 

"i mean...don't get me wrong, i don't believe in those stupid _'listen to your soul'_ things. but somehow...somethin' is tellin me this guy is gonna take care of us. a-and i don't mean like hurt us. no, no! he would...he would never hurt us. to be honest, i don't even think he's ever hurt a fly, hehe." Sans chuckled. "so...i guess I can take y'ur word for it paps. i'll try as hard as i can to get used to this _'grillby'_. so..thanks bro."

 

Sans turned around to face his younger brother, who's eye sockets were practically sparkling as he was frozen in awe.

 

"uh..pap? did you get somethin' in y'ur eye sock-wOAH!!" Before Sans could finish his sentence, Papyrus had latched onto him in a hug. "papyrus, watch the brush!!"

 

"OOPS, SORRY! HEHE!" Papyrus giggled, pulling away. "I KNEW YOU'D FINALLY OPEN UP!"

 

"paaaaaps...." Sans groaned, covering his bright blue skull with the brush as his younger brother simply laughed at him.

 

"TURN AROUND, YOU BLUEBERRY! IT'S YOUR TURN, ANYWAY!" Papyrus laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my stars, my brothers made me do the cinnamon challenge while I was writing this and I chugged half a carton of milk to take the spices away. My mouth is still tingling with the stench of cinnamon, though it is a sweet smell.
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> Anyway, don't be shy to comment! Seriously, I don't mind your opinions.
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> If you have any requests or suggestions that you would like me to add in this fic, let me know. (Detailed fontcest is not permitted, though slight references and hints are)
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> Seriously, this fic is not about me making up the storyline, but about what you guys want. So don't be afraid to let me know!
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> Thanks for reading this, and now I gotta go slap my brother with the door, baiiii!


	5. Why The Long Face?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three monsters enjoy a meal together while Papyrus subconsciously shares the two brother's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooooooly moly, its only the fifth chapter and I've already gotten more than 220 hits!?
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> ***slurps coffee***
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> Whooo! Let's do this, everyone!

Papyrus had been playing in the bathtub with his brother for almost half an hour, and he had accustomed himself to playing with the little plastic duck toys. Although, even that was getting tiresome. Papyrus looked over to Sans, who was almost asleep by the tap head. The younger of the two playfully tapped his brother's shoulder's, earning a groan from the elder.

"YOU'RE TIRED, SANS." Papyrus stated. Sans rubbed his eyes as he sat up in the bathtub, making sure not to get any soap into his eye sockets.

"no 'm not..." Sans mumbled, stiftling a yawn. He brought the shower head down and stood up. "come on, let's rinse off so we can get into some clothes."

Papyrus happily obliged, bouncing to his feet and almost knocking the entire vat of water onto the floor. Sans told him to be careful, but rinsed his little brother off anyway. The elder did his best to get every last bit of soap off Papyrus' bones, ensuring none had gotten on his soul. When he was done, Papyrus stepped out of the bathtub and waited for Sans to rinse himself down.

"I'M COLD..." Papyrus mumbled, his bones pushing against each other as they made a soft _'clacking'_ noise. Sans chuckled softly as he rinsed his feet, stepping out of the tub.

"how are you cold? we're skeletons." Sans joked. He stopped, however, when he saw Papyrus looking at him with a slightly angered face, and rubbed the back of his skull. "aw, geez, pap. 'm sorry." Sans grabbed the towel off the rack, Papyrus tilting his head in confusion.

"BUT THERE'S TWO OF US." Papyrus pointed out.

"it's big, so it'll fit the both of us." Sans explained, draping the towel over the two, bundling them up and making them look like a double burrito in one. Papyrus giggled in content as he rolled further into the towel, almost causing the two to topple over.

"WHAT DID HE SAY TO DO AFTER WE BATHED?" Papyrus asked, holding a finger to his li...teeth.

"i think he said to call him." Sans said, calmly closing his eyes. He already knew what his little brother was about to do, so he just gave up and let him do it.

"MR GRILLBY! WE'RE DONE!!" Papyrus called through the bathroom door, smiling at the sound of his echoed voice. There was a brief silence, as the two began to consider that the man hadn't heard them, so Papyrus was about to call again when,

_'I will be there in a few minutes!'_

Papyrus smiled as he continued to play with the ducks even out of the water, while Sans' sockets darkened as he looked out of the window. The snow was falling rather fast, and he began to wonder what would have happened to him and his brother if this stranger hadn't taken them in. They could have froze to death, what with Sans' low HP. Or maybe Papyrus could have gotten lost and Sans would have died looking for him. Or maybe the Royal Guards could have mistaken them for humans and killed them. Or....maybe...

"....ANS? **SANS!?** " 

The sound of his brother's voice calling him back to reality calmed Sans' mind, his white pupils returning to fill that empty void of a socket. He blinked three...no, was it two, times before looking to face Papyrus. God, what had Sans done? Papyrus had an absolutely petrified look on his face, as the duck he had been previously holding was discarded onto the floor.

"ARE...ARE YOU OKAY?" Papyrus asked, looking deep into Sans' expression. It was a mix of anger, sorrow and _fear _....__

"yeah, bro. totally fine." Sans shrugged it off, picking the duck off the floor.

"BUT-"

**"I'm fine, paps."** Sans firmly said, before the two heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Soon, Grillby had returned, having completely changed his clothes. Instead of wearing the usual bartender uniform, he was wearing a simple grey sweater along with some black trousers.

_'I trust you that you've cleaned yourselves up nice and good?'_ Grillby asked. Sans kept silent, as usual, while Papyrus jumped up, nearly knocking the towel off the two.

"YEAH! IT WAS SUPER FUN IN THE BUBBLES! OH, MR GRILLBY?" Papyrus beamed.

_'Just Grillby, Papyrus.'_ Grillby happily hummed.

"ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO EAT THE BUBBLES?" Papyrus asked, as Grillby took a step back in surprise. "DO-DON'T WORRY, I ONLY ATE TWO OF THEM! I PROMISE!!"

Papyrus ceased his pleads when he heard a strange sound. It actually sounded like it was coming from...Grillby. Was...was he laughing?

_'I apologise. Has anyone told you that you're a good child?'_ Grillby smiled, patting the top of the child's head.

"WELL, NOT REALLY. ONLY SANS, AND I THINK DAD TOO." Papyrus said.

_'Do you know where your father is?'_ Grillby questioned. Before Papyrus could answer, Sans stepped between the two. 

"don't you think we should get into some clothes?" Sans growled. Grillby blinked behind the glasses, before regaining his posture.

_'Yes. Follow me.'_ Grillby said. Papyrus gave his brother a playful glare before dragging him towards the room. Grillby was busy searching through a wardrobe of clothes, occupied with what clothes the two should wear. Sans plopped himself onto the bed, pulling Papyrus with him, and looked around. The room wasn't too big, but it wasn't too small either.

Then it occurred to Sans. Where would him and his brother sleep? Grillby lived in this house alone, right? That would mean that he only owns a single bed. Welp, guess the two will have to reside on the couch until-

 _'Here. Try these on.'_ Grillby interrupted Sans' thoughts by pulling out some clothes and tossing it onto the bed. Sans' eye sockets lazily looked over the clothing; a simple light blue shirt and some grey trousers. Papyrus had been given an orange shirt and a smaller pair of grey trousers. Arching a brow (shut up, I know they don't have eyebrows) at the choice of colors, Sans looked up to see Grillby exiting the room.

 _'Once you are done, you may come downstairs. I have prepared a meal for us.'_ Grillby simply said, gently pushing the door shut. Though, instead of leaving to wait for them downstairs, Grillby set on staying there and listening to their conversation. He knew that it was wrong to intrude on personal conversations, but he just had to know what happened to these children.

"okay, he's weird." Sans' voice said, before being drowned out by Papyrus' childish shrieking.

"SANS, DON'T SAY THAT ABOUT MR GRILLBY! HE'S TRYING HIS BEST!" Papyrus argued.

"trying his best, huh?" Sans asked. Grillby could hear shuffling, so maybe the two were putting the clothes on. "he barely even spoke to us. all he's done is order us around, just like every other monster has."

_Every other monster? So someone has seen them before..._

Grillby feared the worst of the two, and it only got worse the longer they spoke.

"they're too big for you, pap."

"WELL THEN, FOLD THEM, DUMMY!"

"i'm not a dummy, i'm a skeleton. i thought you knew that."

"GRR, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT!"

"but what _did_ you mean?"

Grillby couldn't help but smile at the two; Sans was absolutely adorable when he wasn't acting tough and suspicious of the flame. Those two certainly had a bond together.

"okay, my turn."

"I WANNA PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON!"

"ok."

There was a brief moment of silence as the two pulled on Sans' clothes, and Grillby was considering leaving, when a pained shout from Sans shocked him to his core. (Pun not intended.)

"O-OH MY STARS! SANS, AR-ARE YOU OKAY!?" God, Papyrus' voice was just enough to shatter Grillby's soul into pieces. He sounded so panicked and scared.

"i'm....'m fine, bro..." Sans weakly replied. "you just...brushed over the scar, 's all."

_**Scar!?**_

"SHOULD I TELL GRILLBY TO-"

**"no."** Grillby flinched at the tone of Sans' voice.

"he doesn't deserve to know. just...forget about it, bro, okay?"

"SANS..."

"come on, i'm fine. promise."

It was silent after that, and Grillby decided he had enough. Walking away from the door, he nervously pulled on his gloves. Sans had said something about a scar, so that meant another monster had hurt him. Grillby's flames flickered angrily as he made his way down the stairs, swearing to find out who it was.

Sighing as he collapsed into a chair, Grillby thought long and hard about what he would do. Chuckling slightly and lowering his head, Grillby frowned. 

_'I suppose Gerson is the right monster for this sort of thing...'_

* * *

"how do i look?" Sans asked, lazily leaning against the wall and placing his hands into the pockets of the trousers. Papyrus gave him a thumbs up, before twirling on the spot.

"WHAT ABOUT ME?" Papyrus giggled.

"you look cool, bro." Sans grinned, throwing his brother a thumbs up in response. The two took the time to laugh, before a frowl interrupted them. Papyrus looked down at his shirt, before turning to Sans.

"BROTHER, I THINK MY STOMACH IS ANGRY." Papyrus said.

"we don't have stomachs, paps." Sans smiled, opening up the door.

"IT WAS A METAPHOR!" Papyrus protested, before scratching his skull in embarrassment. "UM...WHA...WHAT'S A METAPHOR?"

Sans laughed and shook his head, before going down the stairs. Papyrus ran after him, and the two made their way to the dining room, where Grillby was already seated.

_'Ah, you are finished. Please, take a seat.'_ Grillby suggested. The way he had said the first sentence sent chills down Sans' spine; though the ten year old cautiously slipped into the oak chair.

"WOWIE! WHAT'S THIS?" Papyrus gushed, looking at the plates filled with food. It seemed to be a goldish brown in color, but had some red sploshed over it. There were also tall glasses of...whatever was in there.

 _'This is your dinner. I supposed that you were hungry, so I fixed up a meal.'_ Grillby responded, watching as Papyrus excitedly jumped into the seat and picked up the fork.

"WHAT IS IT CALLED?" He eagerly asked.

 _'Spaghetti. It's best eaten warm.'_ Grillby noted.

"WELCOME, 'SPAGHETTI', TO MY MOUTH!" Papyrus cheered, picking some up with the fork and lifting into his mouth. He hummed in response and began wolfing down the meal. Sans, however, ate differently to his brother. He picked up his fork slowly, glaring at Grillby every so often, before hesitantly placing some spaghetti into his mouth, almost as if he was concerned that Grillby would slap away the food.

"THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE FOOD, MR GRILLBY! IT'S REALLY NICE!" Papyrus gratefully said.

 _'You're welcome, Papyrus."_ Grillby nodded.

"YOU'RE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER MONSTERS WE MET." Papyrus suddenly said, causing the flame to raise a non existent eyebrow.

_'Oh?'_

Sans inched further into the seats, his sockets emptying as he ate slower than ever.

"YEAH, MUCH NICER TOO! NORMALLY, THEY WOULD TRICK US INTO COMING IN THEIR HOME, BEFORE HIDING ALL THE FOOD." Papyrus began, kicking his feet playfully under the table. Grillby's flames flickered ever so slightly as he listened to the boy speak. It sounded like they already had a rough time, but some other monsters had to add to that roughness.

"AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER TIME WHERE SOMEONE PUSHED ME INTO WATER, AND SANS HAD TO SAVE ME. WHICH IS REALLY GOOD, BECAUSE I NEVER KNEW SANS COULD SWIM." Papyrus beamed, spinning the spaghetti on the fork.

**"me neither."** Sans growled, pushing away his plate after eating a quarter of the portion that Grillby had given him. Grillby cocked his head at the action and guestured towards the plate.

_'Why don't you have some more?'_ Grillby suggested. 

"don't want any more." Sans mumbled. 

_'But you need to-'_

"i said i don't want more." Sans cut him off, crossing his arms and facing the ground. Grillby placed his elbows on the table and sighed deeply. He would have to do something about that attitude of his. Sans huffed and picked up the glass, before drinking half of the milk.

_And that diet._

"I'M DONE!" Papyrus cheered, breaking the tension between the room. The child pushed his plate aside before yawning. 

_'Would you like to sleep?'_ Grillby asked. 

"YES PLEASE!" He cheered once more. Grillby stood up and took the plates to the kitchen, before he returned to the two brothers. 

Grillby would have to do a lot in order for them to trust him fully and completely. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dawwww, Papyrus is such a cinnamon roll I just wanna steal him and keep him forever!!
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> Any artists out there that would like to make a fanart to this work, feel free! I honestly don't give a shit, but make sure you send it to me so I can add it in the story and give you a shoutout.
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> Alright, just to clear things up, everything is just going to go downhill from here, especially when Grillby goes and takes Sans and Papyrus for interrogation in WaterFall. But, at the moment, relax and enjoy these adorable moments.
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> **For now.**


	6. Sleep Is Good For The Body

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grillby tries to leave a fatherly impression on the two, but Sans just isn't taking it well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I have no idea how to write family bond fics, so just bare with this sorry excuse of a chapter.
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> Monthly exams are coming up, and I honestly don't give a single fuck to study. So, here's a chapter instead of revision.

Grillby looked towards the two skeletons, noticing they were politely tucking their seats back into the table. Arching an eyebrow at that, Grillby pressed it no further and instead gently placed a gloved hand on Papyrus' back.

 

 _"How about we get you two settled in a bed?"_ He suggested.

 

"THAT SOUNDS NEATO!" Papyrus tiredly cheered. Sans just gave a grunt in response and trudged up the stairs, following the two rather slowly. The flame lead them to a room that was rarely used. It had previously been Fuku's room, but she had stopped living in it since she changed schools to the one in the capital. She only used it when she came to visit during holidays like Gyftmas. Still, it was okay for the two to use it, Fuku would understand.

 

Pushing open the door, Grillby let Papyrus rush inside as the small child began taking in everything that was there, the color of the walls were a deep orange, while the bed was a mix of blue and white. There were a few jewelry boxes on a dresser, along with some hairbands and accessories, but nothing too extreme. Two boxes sat beside the wardrobe, seemingly locked with a padlock.

 

Papyrus jumped onto the bed, in which it bounced in response, sending the child in a fit of giggles.

 

"HOW IS IT SO BOUNCY?" He cheerfully asked. If one had looked past his condition, they would have thought he was perfectly healthy.

Sans just gave his brother a small shrug, before heaving himself onto the bed. Papyrus gave it a satisrifed pat, grinning at the elder.

 

"ISN'T IT SOFT?" Papyrus beamed. Sans nodded slightly, watching Grillby in his peripheral vision. It seemed that the bartender was picking something out of the cupboard beside the bed. Sans seemed suspicious about it, but before he could look any closer, his little brother pulled him down onto the bed and draped the duvet over the both of them.

 

"NOW WE'LL BE COMFY DURING THE NIGHT!" Papyrus cheered, snuggling up close to Sans. The older skeleton smiled at his innocence, before snapping his skull back to face the flame.

 

 _'Would you like a bedtime story?'_ Grillby asked, a book in hand as he pulled a chair into the room and sat on it.

 

"YES!" Papyrus beamed, before quickly adding a, "PLEASE!"

 

Grillby just chuckled and opened the book, turning to the first page. _'This story is called The Luck Of Greg.'_ Before the monster could continue, there was a harsh gust of wind that blew the curtains violently. Papyrus seemed slightly frightened and buried himself deep under the covers, as Sans watched him with empty eye sockets.

 

 _'I should close that.'_ Grillby said, standing up to go and shut the window. Sans turned to his brother, who was busy taking shelter under the duvet and trembling. Sans gently placed a hand on Papyrus' femur and noticed it was very cold. Frowning at the oldest monster, Sans huddled up close to his younger brother, in hope of warmth.

 

Grillby returned and apologised, before he began to read the story. Papyrus was listening intently, nodding off a few times due to the flame's calm voice, the flickering of fire and the sound of the wind outside the window. Sans was listening, though not as closely as Papyrus was. The elder's glance kept changing between Papyrus to Grillby's hands. They were kept gloved, though he could take them off anytime and punish the two. Gripping onto the duvet, Sans burrowed his brows. (Shut up, he doesn't have eyebrows I know!)

 

_**No.** _

 

Grillby had been nice to them so far, and most of the monsters had shown their bad sides within the first few hours of their arrival. But this monster...was different. Sans still had the suspicion that Grillby was just trying to get them to like him, before turning his back on theirs at the last second.

 

Whatever it was...Sans was...too...tired....to deal....

 

"zzzzzzzz....." The soft sound of snoring tore Grillby from the book. Lifting his head up to check on the two, he smiled warmly at the display. Papyrus had knocked out on the second chapter, while Sans had stayed awake until the fifth, before falling asleep during the sixth chapter. Slowly getting up from the chair as to not make any noise, Grillby placed the book on the beside table. He drew the curtains as quietly as he could before switching the lights off and residing to his own room.

* * *

Letting out a deep and stressed sigh, Grillby leaned against the wall as he dialled the one person he thought could help. The phone rang once...then twice...then thrice...then-

 

_"Hello?"_

 

_'Hello, Gerson. It's me, Grillby.'_

 

_"Why, it's my old friend! Tell me, uh, how's life? Ya drinkin' till ya die?"_

 

 _'Gerson, I have told you. I work as a bartender. I do not engage in such activities.'_ Grillby replied, slightly irritated that the turtle would thinking like that.

 

 _"Wahaha! I'm j'st pullin' yer leg!"_ The older monster laughed. _"So, what's got a bartender callin' me at a time like this?"_

 

Grillby hesitated...no, he had to do this. He had to make sure those children were safe.

 

 _'Alright. I have...found two children...wandering around by my bar.'_ The flame monster hesitantly said. Silence filled the other end, which was probably Gerson signalling for Grillby to continue. _'I had never seen them around Snowdin before, so I assumed they came from either Hotland or the Capital. I took them in because there was a storm approaching. I did not want them to freeze over in a blizzard.'_

 

_"Well, lemme tell ya. You did the right thing, my friend."_

 

 _'That is not it. When I brought them in, I had them take a shower because it seemed like they hadn't taken one in a while. They seemed so weak and malnourished, too. I was afraid they would dust on the spot. One of them mentioned a scar....'_ Grillby trailed off after that. Gerson made a humming noise over the phone, before replying.

 

 _"Alright, Grillby. Tell ya what; you take care of those kids, and come and visit when they're up to full health. I'd like to check that scar and see if it's..."_ Now it was Gerson's time to trail off. Silence filled both ends of the speakers, as they silently prayed to Asgore these children would be safe.

 

 _"Hey, Gerson! Who are you talking to? I thought I was supposed to be taking my lessons right now!"_ A childish voice pouted, as Gerson chuckled.

 

_"Welp, guess that's my cue to leave. Good luck, Grillby. I'm trusting you with the lives of those children. Keep them safe."_

 

Grillby gave a firm nod, although the turtle could not see it. _'I will do my best, sir._

 

 _"Good. Night."_ Gerson promptly hung up after that, leaving Grillby alone again. The flame placed the phone on the desk, before simply collapsing into the bed and falling asleep. He was too tired after taking care of two skeleton children to even check if he closed the kitchen doors. Oh well. He could do that tomorrow...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, I'm gonna fail my exams.  
> I already went in for my first two subjects today and I think I failed one....sheesh.
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> Anyway, don't be shy, I don't bite! Leave a comment if you'd like!


	7. Just A Little Illness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans wakes up with a fever and Grillby does everything in his power to help him.
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> Also, Papyrus is a worried little roll and stays by their side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I got my exam results back and....
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> Wow. I failed like five of them.
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> Huh.
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> Well, here's a new chapter! :D

Grillby lay on his bed, still in the grey sweater from yesterday, snoring lightly as his flames flickered slowly, his chest rising and dropping in unison to his snores. He couldn't remember when exactly he had fallen asleep, but it didn't matter now. At least he was in a bed and not some counter.

 

However, the monster's sleep was interrupted when something began to tug violently at his sleeves. Opening one eye, Grillby met with the small figure of Papyrus. It seemed like the skeleton had been awake for an hour, at the least, and he was frustrated about something.

 

 _'What are you doing this up, Papyrus?'_ Grillby groggily asked, sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes tiredly. (Haha, has anyone even seen Grillby's eyes?)

 

"I-I'M SORRY FOR WAKING YOU UP, MR GRILLBY...." Papyrus mumbled into his scarf. Grillby sighed affectionately as he rubbed the skeleton's head, smiling sleepily.

 

_'I told you to call me Grillby, did I not?'_

 

Papyrus' skull turned to Grillby and the bartender could see the pain in his eyes. Before Grillby could even register when the child had even entered his room, Papyrus began pulling him off the bed and towards the door.

 

 _'Papyrus, I will come for breakfast, don't worry.'_ Grillby said, while Papyrus furiously shook his head.

 

"I THINK SANS IS HURT!!"

 

Now **that** got Grillby to wake up properly. As they passed his desk, the monster grabbed his glasses and placed them atop his nose before gently pushing Papyrus' hand away.

 

 _'I will take a look at him.'_ He reassured the skeleton, though he doubt that Papyrus thought Grillby was to hurt Sans more. The bartender made his way to Fuku's room and knocked gently on the door. He didn't want to come in without Sans' permission.

 _'Is it alright if I come in?'_ Grillby asked, hearing a light moan from inside the room. He took it as a yes and pushed open the door. The room was just as he had left it last night, except for the large bundle under the duvet. As Grillby got closer, he could see Sans was shivering though being wrapped in a duvet.

 

 _'How do you feel, Sans?'_ Grillby asked, gently sitting on the side of the bed.

 

"fine. go away..." Sans' muffled voice replied. Grillby could tell right away the pain in his throat was affecting his speech.

 

 _'I'm going to place a hand on your forehead. Is that alright?'_ There was no response from the skeleton, so Grillby carefully placed a hand on Sans' forehead, with the intention of helping him out. Though, as soon as the two monsters made contact, Sans groaned in pain as he tried to forcefully push Grillby's hand off.

 

"off....hurts...." Sans mumbled, before falling asleep like that. Grillby sighed and turned to Papyrus, who was keeping a watchful eye on his older brother from the doorway.

 

 _'Papyrus, could you get a bowl of cold water and a clean cloth for me?'_ The flame hummed, as Papyrus immediately set off to retrieve the items. Although Grillby was literally made of fire, he could still feel the difference in temperatures, and Sans was off the roof for a healthy monster. To put it in short; Sans had a fever.

Grillby audibly huffed at himself; he should have known that Sans was ill the moment he brought those two in. Papyrus entered the room with a bowl of water and began to hand it to Grillby.

 

 _'Could you place it on his skull?'_ Grillby asked, and Papyrus looked down at the water.

 

"OH RIGHT. I FORGOT YOU CAN'T TOUCH WATER." Papyrus mumbled, feeling a bit embarrassed.

 

 _'It is alright. But if you want your brother to get better, I suggest you put the cloth on his skull.'_ Grillby reminded the child. Papyrus perked up when he heard that and drained the cloth of water before placing the bowl on the bedside table. The flame monster watched as he climbed onto the bed and reached for Sans' body, before the elder began thrashing about in bed.

 

"M-MR GRILLBY....?" Papyrus worriedly asked, as Grillby got to his feet, rejoining Sans.

 

 _'Sans. Sans. Calm down, it's just your brother.'_ Grillby hushed, gently placing a hand on Sans arm to comfort him. _'He wants to help you get better.'_

 

".......hu....hur....ts....." Sans managed to spew out before Grillby gently began to rub his arms.

 

_'I know, I know. We'll get something to fix that up, but for now, you need to let Papyrus cool your fever.'_

 

Sans' head slowly lifted to face the figure of his slightly terrified little brother, a white cloth fixed into his hands as he held onto it with a tight grip.

 

"S....SANS....ARE YOU...." Papyrus began.

 

"paps....'m fi....fine...." Sans responded, giving him the weakest smile he could pull.

 

 _'Sans.'_ Grillby gently interrupted, catching the attention of the two skeletons. _'Could you please stay still while Papyrus gets the cloth onto your head?'_ It wasn't really a question, but more of a polite command. Sans complied without any argument and Papyrus gently began to place the cloth over Sans' skull, covering the elder's eyes a bit. When he had realised what he had done, he squeaked and tried to move it.

 

"paps....'s fine...feels....better..." Sans breathed, falling asleep once again. The two monsters stayed at his side, not even letting a breath escape their mouths as they watched the child sleep. A few moments passed and Grillby wiped a hand over his face, getting off the bed. Papyrus looked at him with a watchful eye as the flame began to look through the drawers.

"M-...GRILLBY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Papyrus questioned, hoping he hadn't sounded rude. Grillby paid no mind to it and shut the top drawer, opening the second one.

 

 _'I remember I had medicine somewhere here...'_ Grillby voiced, before shutting all the drawers and sighing in annoyance. _'Looks like I'll have to run by the shop and go get some.'_

 

Papyrus heard the irritated tone in the adult's voice and immediately began to plead.

 

"N-NO IT'S FINE! I CAN HEAL SANS MYSELF! YOU DON'T NEED TO GO OUT TO BUY IT FOR US!"

 

Grillby raised an unseen eyebrow and placed his hands on his hips.

 

 _'Papyrus, I would have let you heal your brother the moment I figured he had a fever. It is perfectly fine, I do not mind it.'_ Grillby reassured him, as he got to his room to pull on a jacket.

 

"CAN I AT LEAST STAY WITH HIM WHILE YOU GO GET IT?" Papyrus asked, stopping at Grillby's doorway. "SANS DOESN'T LIKE TO BE ALONE WHEN HE WAKES UP."

 

 _'Hm? Why is that?'_ The flame subconsciously asked, pulling out a scarf.

 

"Because he thinks that someone is going to hurt me..." Papyrus quietly said, twiddling his phalanges together. Grillby hesitated to tie his scarf, looking at the child while Papyrus took the silence as a chance to continue.

 

"He doesn't really trust anyone ever since we were thrown out or the capital. A-and all of the monsters we met so far hurt us when we wouldn't do anything they said." Papyrus admitted, leaving the adult in sheer silence.

"I-I know he told me not to tell you but...I think it will help him." The child looked up at Grillby, his innocent eyes reflecting the flames. "He's scared of you...."

 

Grillby took a moment to take in the information. Sans was the oldest and wisest of the two, so he had learnt jot to trust monsters. But, now that they were in fact safe, he still didn't trust the flame. Grillby smiled warmly at Papyrus, gently rubbing his skull.

 

 _'I promise you that I will not hurt you or your brother. You are safe under my life.'_ Grillby vowed. That seemed to do the trick as Papyrus gave him a small smile back.

 

"Thank you, Grillby..." Papyrus breathed.

 

 _'You are welcome.'_ Grillby nodded.

 

"NOW!" Grillby wince a little at the sudden return of Papyrus' normal voice. "WE SHOULD MAKE SURE SANS DOESN'T GET ANY MORE SICK! SO, YOU CAN GO AND BUY THE MEDICINE WHILE I STAY HERE!!"

 

 _'That sounds like a plan.'_ Grillby smiled, pulling on his jacket and leaving to go down the stairs. _'Keep Sans calm and make sure he doesn't leave the bed.'_

 

"YOU CAN COUNT ON ME!" Papyrus saluted from the top of the staircase, earning a small chuckle out of the bartender.

 

 _'Goodbye for now, Papyrus.'_ Grillby said, opening the front door.

 

"BYE GRILLBY!" Papyrus eagerly waved, before the door shut. He slowly lowered his arm before nervously rubbing his elbow. "I KNEW SANS SHOULDN'T HAVE GIVEN ME ALL HIS CLOTHES...."

* * *

After Grillby left his home, he went around the bar and into town. As usual, it was bustling with tourists from the Capital, as well as it's normal citizens. Turning to his left, the flame could see a bunch of monsters gathered around the bar windows, peeking in.

 

"Has anyone seen Grillby?" One questioned.

 

"I don't think he's opened it since yesterday." Another replied. Grillby meekly covered his face as he tried to stay hidden. He didn't need anyone asking why he hadn't been at work, and why he seemed so tired....or why he was buying medicine.

 

Finally, he had made it to the Snowdon Shop where he pushed open the door, revealing his face. The bunny shopkeeper, Miss Maria, smiled warmly at him as he entered.

 

"Ah, Grillby. What brings you here; did you run out of potatoes for ya fries?" She asked, bending down to pick up a sack of potatoes, when the monster stopped her.

 

 _'No, I'm here for...something else.'_ Grillby said, as the young adult raised an eyebrow.

 

"Okaaay. What is this _'something else'_?" She queried. Grillby sighed and looked over to the table beside her.

 

 _'I needed some fever medicine.'_ He admitted, to which Maria just raised her eyebrows some more.

 

"I didn't know flames could get fevers." She said.

 

 _'It is not for me.'_ Grillby huffed. _'A....friend of mine is ill.'_

 

Maria nodded her head in understanding before grabbing a couple of bottles. She set them down on the counter, before leaning against her elbow.

 

"Take three spoons of this per day. Mornin', noon and before bed." She advised, as Grillby placed them into his bag before getting out some gold. He held it out for her to take, to which she promptly pushed it back.

 

"It's on me." Maria smiled, winking at the adult. "Just make sure they get back up to health. Everyone's startin' to worry about your business."

 

 _'I bet they are.'_ Grillby groaned, making the bunny giggle.

 

"Don't worry, I'll explain it to them. Now get on home." Maria waved as the bartender left the shop.

 

 _'Thank you very much, Maria. It means a lot to me.'_ Grillby nodded, shutting the door.

* * *

Once the front door had been shut, Papyrus made his way back to the bedroom, where Sans was sleeping rather peacefully. The duvet was a bit off him, so the child pulled it back over his older brother before sitting on the seat that Grillby had sat in the night before.

 

As he kicked his legs playfully, watching the window and the small amount of snow falling, Papyrus frowned at Sans. The older of the two was really considerate, so much that he never thought about his own health or needs. He would lie to Papyrus that he was not tired, and denied any food that the younger offered to him. It was really hitting Papyrus' nerves, and he didn't even _have_ nerves.

 

Papyrus hasn't realised that he had drifted off into a train of thoughts, until Sans' weak voice brought him back.

 

"...pa...p...s...?"

 

"SANS! HOW ARE YOU FEELING?" Papyrus asked, trying to keep his voice lowered as to not worsen Sans' illness. The other stayed quiet for a bit, breathing rather heavily before finally mumbling a response.

 

"li...ttle....bett....er..." Sans turned his skull to face his little brother, and curved his mouth in confusion. "....gri....l...lby....?"

 

"DON'T WORRY, HE JUST LEFT TO GO BUY MEDICINE. HE'LL BE BACK!" Papyrus reassured him. Sans leaned back into the pillow, letting a deep sigh escape his mouth.

 

"....su....cks...." He huffed.

 

"I KNOW THAT YOU HATE HAVING A FEVER, BUT FOR NOW YOU NEED REST! I CAN TAKE CARE OF YOU, JUST LIKE YOU DO WITH ME!" Papyrus smiled, as Sans weakly chuckled.

 

"l....ove....y....ou....."

 

"I LOVE YOU TOO, BPOTHER. NOW GET SOME SLEEP." Papyrus said, making sure he was holding Sans' hand. The other smiled at the comfort, before one again, slipping into slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, writing sick scenes is a pain in the ass. I hate having fevers and it sucks.
> 
>  
> 
> Anyway, how many times have I told you guys, comment! It makes me feel reassured that you are actually reading my story and not cringing the entire way through.


	8. Stop Being A Bother, Sans!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Grillby tries to feed Sans medicine, but the ten year old is refusing multiple times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I failed three subjects and got a phone call to my parents, but hey! At least I can get this chapter out to you guys!

Stepping onto the doorstep, Grillby pushed open the front door, announcing that he had arrived. It hadn't been long before Papyrus came skidding down the upstairs hall and stopping at the stairs.

 

"HI, GRILLBY!" Papyrus waved, as the bartender smiled, joining him at the staircase.

 

 _'Nice to see you again, Papyrus. Was Sans a bother?'_ Grillby hummed as the two trekked to the bedroom. Papyrus shook his head before nudging his head towards the door.

 

"NOT AT ALL! HE DID WAKE UP AND ASK WHERE YOU WERE, THEN HE WENT BACK TO SLEEP." He answered. Grillby thought about this as he placed a hand on the doorknob. Was Sans really that sick he couldn't even get out bed? It was a relief though, the flame had expected the elder to throw himself out of the bedsheets and escape with Papyrus, despite being ill.

 

 _'That is...good.'_ Grillby muttered, pushing aside those thoughts and entering the room. He left Papyrus confused in the hallway, before calling him back in.

 

 _'Sans, I am afraid you must wake up.'_ Grillby calmly said, placing the bag on the desk and getting out the medicine. He heard a groan from the bed and decided Sans was awake before reading over the ingredients. Seemed to be normal enough. The bartender turned around and faced Sans, who was staring at him grumpily.

 

 _'I apologise for waking you up, but it is needed.'_ Grillby said, as he noticed Sans wasn't paying attention to him, more so the bottle in his hands.

 

"...th...that...?" Sans weakly asked, still wearing a suspicious expression, his sockets empty with the void.

 

 _'This is medicine. You are going to need it if you want to get better.'_ Grillby stated, pouring the directed amount onto the spoon and making his way over to the bed. _'It is taken orally so you do not have to be concerned about any pain.'_

 

"..don't...want..." Sans huffed, backing away from the spoon. Grillby frowned at this and only pushed the spoon closer. Sans really was still a child, and it only annoyed the older monster a little.

 

 _'I know you do not want to take it, but you must. If you want to get better, you might as well take the medicine.'_ Grillby noted, as Sans backed into the pillow, slowly pulling the blanket over his face to shield himself from the death spoon. _'Sans, I do not want to have to get angry at you.'_ He warned. Sans raised a bone brow at this curiously, coughing slightly into the sleeve of his shirt.

 

"didn't know....you....had....button...." Sans choked out, as Grillby's flames flickered in response. This kid was pretty smart for his age, though. That was admirable. Grillby sighed and looked over at Papyrus, who was worriedly watching from the side, a bit of irritancy etched onto his skeletal face.

 

 _'Listen, Sans.'_ Grillby began, noticing he had caught Sans' attention. _'I know that you want to keep your brother safe. And I am also aware that you put his needs in front of your own. But this time, your brother needs you to be strong for him.'_

It was at this point that Sans turned to Papyrus, who was slowly sliding his hand towards him. Sans gladly took the gesture and the two interlocked phalanges. Papyrus gazed at his brother, disappointed at his actions.

 

"SANS, I KNOW YOU WANT ME TO BE SAFE. BUT I WANT YOU TO BE SAFE TOO. PLEASE DON'T THINK THAT I NEED THE BEST OF THINGS, BECAUSE WE BOTH NEED TO BE EQUAL. RIGHT, GRILLBY?" Papyrus looked up at the flame, who nodded in response. "SEE SANS. WE BOTH WANT YOU TO GET BETTER. SO PLEASE, TAKE THE MEDICINE. IT MIGHT TASTE WEIRD, BUT IT WILL HELP YOU. I PROMISE."

 

Sans looked at the two, who were both waiting for a response. Huh, he guessed this is what he gets for being a lazy bone brother. If Papyrus was happy, Sans could _warm_ up a little to Grillby. Heh, nice one.

 

"fine...but....want....water....after...." Sans croaked, watching Grillby's flames flicker in relief.

 

 _'Whatever you would like. Now, could you open your mouth?'_ Grillby asked, wanting to facepalm straight after. He didn't even know if skeletons could open their mouths. They were just teeth, and they technically didn't have any throats and-

 

Grillby was pulled out of his thoughts when Sans willingly opened his mouth, revealing a small pair of fangs, along with a dimly glowing blue tongue.

 

Wow.

 

That was...actually pretty interesting.

 

The older gently placed the spoon into the other's mouth, watching as Sans' expression changed to that of disgust and snickered quietly.

 

 _'Water?'_ Grillby suggested, receiving a glare from Sans. He got up from the seat and left to grab a glass of water.

 

While he was gone, the two brothers rejoined on the bed and Papyrus smirked.

 

"I WIN." He smugly said.

 

"....win....w....what?...."

 

"I KNEW YOU WOULD GET SICK ONCE. YOU'RE ALWAYS LOOKING OUT FOR ME, AND YOU NEVER THINK ABOUT YOUR OWN HEALTH." Papyrus stated, as Sans' cheekbones were dusted with a light blue.

 

"....yeah.....alright.....you....win..." Sans admitted as Papyrus smiled triumphantly.

 

"GRILLBY WILL TAKE GOOD CARE OF US. YOU CAN COUNT ON ME." He reminded, gently squeezing Sans' hand.

 

Grillby returned with a glass of water and he offered it to Sans, before turning to the youngest monster in confusion.

 

 _'When did you make breakfast?'_ Grillby questioned.

 

"O-OH! WHILE YOU WERE GONE!" Papyrus eagerly answered. The monster was quiet so the child continued for more context. "AFTER YOU LEFT AND SANS WENT BACK TO SLEEP, I GOT A LITTLE BORED. SO, I KIND OF GOT CARRIED AWAY AND MADE BREAKFAST....SORRY."

 

 _'No, do not apologise. I like it.'_ Grillby admitted.

 

"YOU DO?" Papyrus asked, looking up at the elder, who nodded in response.

 

 _'I shall go and get breakfast for the three-'_ Grillby trailed off once he noticed Sans had knocked out once again, holding an empty glass in his hands. The flame carefully plucked it out of his hands and sighed. _'-the two of us. You can stay here and keep Sans company if you'd like.'_

 

"THANK YOU, GRILLBY!" Papyrus breathed, seating himself in the chair once again.

 

 _'My pleasure, Papyrus.'_ Grillby smiled, slowly closing the door with a soft click and making his way into the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I found it fun to write this. I could practically imagine an entire scene happening like a movie.
> 
>  
> 
> Also, medicine tastes ass. They lie to you about the flavour being strawberry, and it turns out to be some shitty substance.
> 
>  
> 
> Hhhhhhhh this seemed so short I'm so sorry!!!!


	9. Job Start!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grillby gets the two brothers to help him with his business. And Sans doesn't like talking to people.
> 
>  
> 
> Oh, and Papyrus is once again, being adorable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAACCCK I'M SORRY I DIDN'T UPDATE SOON ENOUGH! I just had the case of writer's block again. TvT
> 
>  
> 
> This chapter took me about two weeks to write, due to the lack of motivation. But I love getting chapters out for you guys, so I hope you enjoy!

It was three days after he had fell ill, and Sans' fever had slightly gone down, thanks to the medicine. He was well rested enough to stand on his own and walk around, but his throat hurt too much to talk. Grillby had limited Sans' speech to short sentences, hand gestures and finger pointing. Sans still was breathing heavily, but not to the extent that it would give him an attack.

 

The three of them were sitting at the table having breakfast, when Papyrus noticed the clothing that Grillby was wearing. It was the same clothes that he wore the first day the monster found them. Finishing off the waffle that was in his mouth, Papyrus tilted his head at the flame.

 

"GRILLBY," He began.

 

_'Yes, Papyrus?'_

 

"WHY ARE YOU WEARING THOSE CLOTHES?" Papyrus questioned, helping Sans to get the waffle onto his fork. Grillby peered down at his clothes, his flames flickering in realisation.

 _'Oh, this is my uniform.'_ He beamed.

 

"DO YOU HAVE A JOB?" Papyrus asked, kicking his feet playfully under the table.

 

 _'Yes. I work as a bartender.'_ Grillby replied, as Papyrus's face contorted into that of surprise, while Sans just lightly snorted.

 

"I THOUGHT YOU WORKED FOR THE KING. IT LOOKS VERY....FORMAL." Papyrus said, looking for the right words to use that, hopefully wouldn't offend the adult.

 

 _'Ah, no. The capital is too crowded for my liking. I prefer it here, in Snowdin.'_ The flame explained. _'However, my bar is not just that. It has a normal restaurant as well.'_

 

At that point, Papyrus slammed his hands onto the table, pushing his chair back and linking eye contact with Grillby. "YOU MUST COOK REALLY WELL IF A LOT OF PEOPLE COME HERE EVERYDAY TO BUY IT!"

 

Sans looked up at the monster, and he could see a little bit of blue within those flames. Huh...that was weird.

_'No, this business used to belong to my father.'_ Grillby took notice of how Sans flinched in his seat and lowered his skull. _'He is the one who taught me how to cook.'_

 

"HOW LONG WILL YOU BE GONE FOR?" Papyrus queried.

 

 _'I suppose I should be opening up in a few minutes. After that, I will be working until late night.'_ The adult responded, looking down at the young skeleton. Papyrus was quiet for a while, before he once again shot up again, nearly tipping over the honey jar. Sans gently placed it back on it's upright side and slightly away from Papyrus, in case he got too eager.

 

"CAN WE HELP?" He suddenly asked.

 

 _'Papyrus, I-'_ Grillby began.

 

"I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR ME AND MY BROTHER. IT REALLY MEANS A LOT TO US. AND BESIDES, WHAT HAPPENS IF SANS HAS ANOTHER ATTACK? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET HELP?" Papyrus suggested.

 

"bro, i'll be-" Sans quietly began.

 

"NO SANS, YOU WILL MOST DEFINITELY **NOT** BE FINE. LOOK, YOU ARE SHAKING!" Papyrus said. Indeed, Sans' hand was trembling as he placed the waffle slice into his mouth. The younger child turned back to the adult and, without giving him a chance to respond, continued.

 

"I WANT TO HELP YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO RETURN THE FAVOR. SO PLEASE, GRILLBY. CAN YOU LET US HELP YOU?" Papyrus said. Grillby took a moment to think about it. Papyrus was so full of...D̸͕̆͂͒̑̓̕͠Ë̶̘̬͇̊͆̚Ţ̵̹̣͖̫̗͉̊̍̒̿͛̕͝Ę̴͎̫̺̘͆͗͝Ṛ̵̥͉̞̔͛̅̽͘M̵̩͖̫̓̆͛͝Ȋ̶̧͈͖̰̂̏Ň̴̗̗͓̪͇A̶͖̤̅̏͜Ţ̶̹̯̘̌̅Ḯ̵̘̙́̚͜͝͝ͅŌ̴͖̈́N̷͓̒̌́̎̉͠ͅ resolution that the flame monster doubted he would give it up. Sans, on the other hand, was avoiding contact from the adult, keeping a firm grip on his trembling hand to stop it from moving any more. Grillby thought about his choices for a bit before nodding.

 _'Alright.'_ Grillby spoke up, as the two brother looked at him in surprise.

 

"REALLY?" Papyrus blinked. "YOU'VE ALREADY MADE YOUR CHOICE?"

 

_'I think it's time you two got some exercise. You do want to become a strong monster when you grow up, don't you?'_ The flame asked, as Papyrus nodded. 

"YEAH! I'LL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO SAVE PEOPLE! AND SANS WILL BE THE FIRST PERSON I SAVE!" Papyrus cheered.

"that's good, paps..." Sans mumbled into his fork. Grillby could tell that the older of the two didn't feel like lifting objects, but didn't change his mind. Sans needed the exercise with him being the weaker of the two. Grillby excused himself from the table and left the two to eat together. He needed to find some shirts that would fit them.

After Grillby had left, Sans turned towards Papyrus questioningly as he placed a waffle into his mouth.

 

"you sure you wanna work this early? it might be hard-" he began.

 

"NONSENSE! NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" The younger cheered, standing up in his seat. Sans held the chair down to ensure he wouldn't topple over and pushed his plate to the side. "BUT..."

 

Sans watched as his brother sat down and looked at the waffle, halfheartedly poking at it with his fork. "DON'T TELL GRILLBY. BUT I'M SCARED."

 

The elder tilted his head at the other, breathing heavily, yet quietly. "of what?"

 

"WHAT IF...WHAT IF THEY DON'T LIKE US? WHAT IF THEY FIND US WEIRD AND TRY TO HURT US AND-" Papyrus was interrupted when he felt a hand over his own. He turned to face Sans, who was giving him a comforting smile.

 

"if they do try to hurt us, grillbz will be there to stop them. we're safe." Sans hesitantly replied, leaving some space to breathe. He still didn't 100% trust the flame, but Grillby was risking his life for them. So, I guess Sans trusted him a little bit over the halfway mark.

 

"YOU'RE RIGHT, BROTHER. MAYBE I SHOULDN'T—" Papyrus stopped short when he went over what Sans had said. "DID...?"

 

Sans' grin grew wider as Papyrus seemed to catch on. "DID YOU CALL HIM.... _'GRILLBZ'_?" Sans just shrugged in return, whereas Papyrus began to scold him.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'VE ALREADY MADE A NICKNAME FOR HIM AND IT'S ONLY DAY TWO! YOU ARE UNBELIEVABLE, SANS!"

 

Sans chuckled at his brother, before his laughter trailed into a coughing fit. "OH! I'M SORRY I MADE YOU LAUGH! (EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WAS SO FUNNY.)" Papyrus cried, trying to comfort his brother. He was about to call for help, when Grillby entered the dining room, calmly placing the clothes on the table.

 

 _'Breathe, Sans.'_ He hummed. It took Sans a few minutes to calm from his fit, and when he was done, his face had turned a light shade of blue. Grillby's frowned at this, he would have to keep a close eye on him today. _'These were what I could find. They are my old clothes from when I used to help my father with the business when I was younger.'_

 

Sans looked up to face Grillby with a smirk and managed to choke out, "so, you gonna keep givin us hand-me-downs?"

 

"SANS!" Papyrus hissed, gently taking the clothes. "THANK YOU, GRILLBY. WE APPRECIATE IT. RIGHT, SANS?"

 

"yeah, sure, whatever." Sans waved it off, taking his share of the clothes.

 

 _'Actually, Sans. I was considering on getting you two your own clothes. If you would like it, of course.'_ Grillby said, putting on some shoes to go into the cellar.

 

"REALLY?" Papyrus beamed, slipping off his scarf and unbuttoning his shirt.

 

"heh, looks like he's _warming_ up to us, eh grillbz?" Sans asked, holding back a chuckle.

 

"SAAAAAANS! WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT PUNS! AND THAT RIDICULOUS NICKNAME!" Papyrus wailed, lightly bashing his older brother on the skull with his tiny fist.

 

 _'I quite like it.'_ Grillby admitted, stepping out of the cellar as he heaved a box of beer with him.

 

"YOU DO?!" Papyrus asked in a surprised tone. Grillby gave the skeleton a nod before pushing through a door by the kitchen. Maybe that was where the bar was?

 _'Could you get dressed and help me with setting up the tables?'_ Grillby called from the room. _'I'll open up the bar once we've finished.'_

 

Papyrus turned towards the clothes and immediately began squealing. They were just like Grillby's uniform, only smaller and big enough to fit him. He immediately got set to change into them, muttering about him having 'first impressions on the customers'. Sans, on the other hand, was slowly slipping into the overalls, his mind racing with possibilities of outcomes. Would they like him? Would they try to hurt him? What if Grillby couldn't save them? What if Grillby didn't **want** to save them? What if--

 

"SANS....?" Papyrus' gentle, yet concerned voice brought Sans back into the real world. He blinked a couple of times, letting the lights reappear in his sockets before turning to his brother and forcing a smile.

 

"heh, sorry bro. guess i was too busy thinking about working." Sans lied, brushing the jacket as he buttoned it up.

Papyrus gave his older brother a comforting smile, just as he had done, and tied on his bowtie. "WE'LL BE FINE SANS. NOW COME ON, GRILLBY IS WAITING FOR US!"

The two brothers stepped into the bar and marvelled at the sheer sight of it. Despite being a place that monsters go to get drunk, Grillby had managed to make it look as comfy as a home. Speaking of Grillby, he was currently placing some beer bottles onto the shelves when he noticed Sans' struggling posture.

 

 _'I thought I had told you to keep your sentences to a minimum.'_ he frowned, as Sans just crossed his arms.

 

"wanted to get my point across." Sans replied, covering a cough with his hand. Grillby placed a hand on his hips and looked at Sans with a stern expression.

 

 _'The maximum words you can use is five. No more than that, or I will send you straight to bed.'_ Grillby threatened. Sans rolled his eyelights and trudged over towards a table, picking up a salt shaker and eyeing it. Grillby gave an annoyed sigh before he peered at the clock. He should be opening up in ten minutes.

 

 _'Papyrus, do you mind setting down some napkins and utensils?'_ Grillby asked, wiping down the counter.

 

"OH, RIGHT!" Papyrus replied. "UMM....."

 

Grillby looked up and noticed the pure confusion in Papyrus' face and nodded in understanding. _'Would you like me to show you those?'_

 

"O-OH! OKAY!" Papyrus beamed. Grillby turned to face Sans, who was shaking the pepper vigorously.

 

 _'Do not shake it too hard otherwise it will spill everywhere. In addition, you will become sicker.'_ Grillby warned him, as Sans placed the shaker down and pouted. _'You can finish placing these bottles into the shelves. Be gentle, alright?'_

 

Sans shrugged and walked over to the counter, kneeling down to take a few wine bottles out of the box. Once Grillby had finished dealing with the more troublesome child, he turned to Papyrus. _'Follow me. I will show you the napkins, and then we can move onto the utensils.'_

 

"OKAY!" Papyrus chirped. The two pushed past the door and into the kitchen, leaving Sans by himself, with only eight minutes to go until customers would start pouring in through those doors.

* * *

_'That is about it. We should be able to open it up now.'_ Grillby said, heading towards the door. He pulled the curtains and tied them with a silky black bow, before turning to the two skeletons. 

_'Remember, help anyone you can and avoid any questions they ask about your life. They are most likely drunk at that time.'_

"ALRIGHT, GRILLBY!" Papyrus nodded.

_'And Sans,'_ Grillby began, receiving a huff from the elder. _'You must not speak for long. I would not like it if you had an attack.'_

"okay, okay..." Sans responded. The flame sighed before opening the door. It only took a few minutes before monsters began to pour in like a stampede. The first one in was a bunny that wore a yellow shirt and some shorts, despite it being Snowdin and well....snow. It seemed to be feminine by the way it walked and as Sans looked closer, he could see hope shining in her eyes.

"Ah, Grillby! I...thought you gave up on your job." She said, taking the seat closest to the front door.

 

 _'Now, why would I want to do that, Suzy?'_ Grillby gently hummed, before whipping something out of his pocket. _'Care for a cinnamon bunny?'_

 

Suzy's eyes sparkled in recognition and she looked up at the flame with tears of joy. "You....you didn't forget?" Grillby shook his head and carefully placed the pastry into her hands.

 

 _'Why would I forget the promise I made to a friend?'_ Grillby mused. Hastily wiping away her tears, Suzy bit into the cinnamon bunny. It was only then when she noticed the two skeletons peeking at her from behind the counter. As soon as the three of them made eye contact, the brothers ducked under the counter.

 

"Who are they?" She finally asked, turning to the bartender.

 

 _'They are....a friend's children.'_ Grillby lied on the spot. _'I am taking care of them for a while until they return.'_

 

"Is that why you were closed yesterday?" Suzy questioned, receiving a nod. "Oh. I thought you had....well, given up on me."

 

 _'Suzy, I believe we have had this discussion before. I care as much as your mother does. And nothing shall change my viewpoint.'_ Grillby firmly said.

 

"Thanks, Grillby. I...uh, needed that." Suzy admitted, smiling softly. "Could I just have a milkshake for today?"

 

 _'Very well.'_ Grillby bowed respectively, before turning to the skeletons. _'Papyrus, would you mind helping me with the milkshakes?'_

The small child poked his head from behind the counter and nodded. "ALRIGHT!" He agreed, getting to his feet and following Grillby into the kitchen.

 

 _'Sans, could you write down everyone's orders and bring them to us?'_ Grillby questioned, noticing how many monsters came flooding in through the doors. The fire elemental had no idea his bar was this popular.

 

"a...alright." Sans slowly nodded, taking the notepad that was set on the counter. His nonexistent stomach did multiple flips at the sight of so many monsters. Some were staring at him, others were ignoring his presence completely.

Maybe....maybe he should call Grillby and ask him to-

 

No. No, he had to do this himself. He had be confident, just like his brother. God, why wasn't Sans as optimistic as Papyrus was?

 

Gathering all the courage he didn't even know he had, Sans left from behind the counter and slowly made himself towards a pack of dogs. Four were wearing armour, much like the Royal Guard Sans had heard about from monsters. The other was just dressed in a yellow vest and some denim jeans. Shakily lifting his hand to put the pen to paper, Sans opened his mouth to speak, remembering to limit his sentence to five words.

 

"can i take your order?" Sans finished, as a large weight appeared in his chest. That was uncalled for, he was just about to start a fit. Grillby was probably right, he should keep it below five. The dog wearing casual clothing peered around, sniffing the air.

 

"Grillby? 'S that you? By stars, you've turned into a kid!" The dog breathed.

 

"no, sir! you've got it-" Sans trailed off, leaving some room to breathe.

 

"Get off his case, Doggo." The one holding an axe on his lap snarled.

 

 _"That's just a little skeleton monster."_ The other added, with a feminine tone.

 

"Skeleton, eh? Tell me, kid. Is Grillby yer father?" Doggo asked, looking in the wrong direction. Sans wanted to tell the dog that he wasn't there, but decided against it. The young skeleton's cheekbones flared lightly at the thought of Grillby being his biological father. Shaking his skull, and the thought away, Sans answered his question.

 

"no, sir. just a friend." Sans replied.

 

"Quit being so nosy, Doggo." The second dog hissed.

 

 _"Just tell him what you want."_ The female snapped.

 

"Alright, alright! Sheesh. Could ya tell Grillby I want three orders of his fries? And that I'm not paying for those damn burgers of his." Doggo grumbled. Sans had no idea what fries or burgers even were, but he shrugged and scribbled it down anyway.

 

"and you?" Sans asked, facing the others.

 

"Lesser Dog and Greater Dog will just have a bone as usual." The male said. Sans winced at that, covering up as much of his scapula as he could.

 

"We'll take a milkshake." The female nodded.

 

"thanks for your time." Sans nodded back, before moving onto the next table. He noticed it was one of those Snowdrakes he had seen walking through town and exploring the forest. It was a strange thing to want to do; to go out into the dark alone. However, Sans didn't pry it any further and asked the same question.

 

"can i take your order?" He asked, wincing at the pain in his ribs. The Snowdrake's eyes gazed over to him and he could feel the tension between them. They were stuck like that, staring into each other's eyes. Finally, they spoke.

 

"You got a fever, kid?" The Snowdrake asked, their voice more feminine than their body looked. Sans felt a little offended by that; why was everyone calling him kid!? It was frustrating! Nevertheless, Sans shook off the anger and responded.

 

"I'm fine, actually." He lied.

 

"Lying isn't good, you know that?" She asked, a bored tone in her voice. Sans felt sweat drip down his forehead as she continued to look him up and down. Her glare was...intimidating. Suddenly, it was as if all the tension had left as she let out a giggle.

 

"Ah, who said it was my business?" She laughed, before facing the ten year old. "I'm guessing you can't speak normally without having an attack, huh?" Sans stayed silent and watched as she held out a hand.

 

"Name's Freya." She winked. Sans just cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Well, you're not gonna leave me hangin, are ya?"

 

Slowly but surely, Sans brought his hand out of his pocket and brought it to her hand. He was fully expecting her to grab him and take off or something, but was relieved when they just shook each other's hands. He was confused, to say the least, when he heard a slight parping noise coming from her hand. When the noise had died out, Freya raised her hand to show a small device in her hand, giggling slightly.

 

"Whoopie-cushion-in-the-hand trick! It's always funny!" She laughed. Her laughter ceased when she noticed Sans wasn't laughing, and instead was staring at her in confusion. "Uh...tough crowd?"

 

Looking closer, she could see that Sans' body was shaking slightly, and his face was turning a little blue-er. Freya raised an eyebrow in concern and watched the boy. But all worry was washed away when she heard a small chuckling coming from the skeleton, and she smiled.

 

"that was actually pretty funny." Sans admitted, stopping himself from laughing anymore to prevent a fit and smiling softly at the girl. "where did you learn?"

 

"I found this book in the library. I could lend it to ya if you want." Freya said, gesturing a hand to the door.

 

"no thanks. don't want trouble." Sans replied, hoping that sentence made enough sense that she could understand it.

 

"I barely use it anymore. Wanna know why?" Freya grinned.

 

"why?" Sans questioned.

 

"I memorised all five hundred pages." She admitted, earning another small chuckle from Sans. He couldn't keep it in this time and began to cough. "Woah, now. Take it easy."

A few seconds passed and Sans lifted a hand as if to say 'i'm alright'. Freya relaxed and smiled at the child. "Feisty one, eh? Tell you what; I can teach ya sign language."

 

"s...sign....language...?" Sans asked, peering at her in confusion. What in the name of the stars was that!?

 

"Yeah, it's like talking, but with your hands. Some monsters use it when they're mute, or just for fun." Freya explained. "I guessed it would help you since you find trouble in talking."

 

"o...okay." Sans nodded.

 

"Great. First we'll start off with the basics and then I'll teach you how to structure words." Freya began, holding out the palm of her hand. "First, the letter 'A'."

* * *

It had been nearly twenty minutes and Freya had already taught Sans how to sign the alphabet as well as some rudimentary words. Now, they were focusing on names.

 

"Okay, first we'll sign my name, then we'll sign yours, okay?" Freya asked, receiving a nod. She went on to sign her name, Sans slowly following after. She smiled at his achievement and then continued to sign his name. However, as the ten year old watched her fingers dance to the letters of his name, Sans couldn't help but feel something was wrong.

 

Something....was watching.

 

Sans watched as the letters in his name formed in Freya's hand, burning an eternal flame into his skull as a painful memory that was hoped to be forgotten, resurfaced. And it was all because of his name.

.  
.  
Ừ̴̧͓̪̤̪̪̄͌͊̓̊̓̑͜0̸̝̼̭͖̠̑͊̌̈́̍̑̕͢͢͟͞͞ͅF̢̧̖̥̭̦͍̹̖̎͊͛̈̈́O̸̢̜̖̫̲͚̖̜̫̯͑̌̚͠Ȗ̧̳͚̘̦̫̝͂͒̋̅͜͜ͅý̷̢͍͎̙̲̌͆͗͐͜4̤͔̥̳̱̇͆̈́͊͂̆͢͢u̸͉̹̘͉͈͐̄̂͌͌͊̎L͇̬͓̻̗̈́̐́͘͝͡ǐ̧̻̯͖̭̩͔̠̖͉̓̎̂͌̋̌̚͠4̷̛̝̝̤̗̭̗̒͐͌̑̃͡u̴̧̨̡͍̺̝̱͗̈̽͂͌̔  
.  
.

 

"....ans? **Sans?** "

 

Sans blinked furiously, shaking those horrific images out of his mind. He looked up at Freya, her usual laid-back smile now a concerned frown as her hands were placed on his shoulder. The child figured he must have been out of it for a while, as most of the customers had exited the bar, Grillby and his younger brother watching from a distance.

 

"Jeez, kid. You alright?" Freya asked. But Sans didn't respond.

 

He couldn't.

 

But what he could do, was run.

 

After all. That's what he was good at.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup! I decided to make a certain Snowdrake called Freya Sans' boost to making more puns. I found it adorable writing this scene; it was like a mother teaching her son.
> 
>  
> 
> Also, a little twist at the end hinting towards a certain someone. Good luck with that decoding. Ah, this really is a game changer, isn't it?
> 
>  
> 
> Anyway, that checkup with Gerson is sooner than ever and the two brothers won't like it one bit.


	10. Desperate Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grillby is the most panicked he's ever been as he goes to look for Sans without anyone's help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems as if you guys managed to decode my little message. Yes, it was WingDings for SANS....
> 
>  
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this search chapter. I can assure you that there will be so much more decoding.

The three monsters watched the small figure of the skeleton fade into the distance, before the bartender decided to take action. Passing Papyrus over to Freya, he looked at her deeply in the eyes.

 

 _'Freya. I need you to keep Papyrus here.'_ Grillby sternly said.

 

"Wait, where are you going?" Freya asked, taking Papyrus into her arms.

 

 _'I will go and find Sans. No matter how long it will take me to do it. I will bring him back.'_ He replied, dropping some keys into her hands. _'Take these keys and lock up. Only open the door for me.'_

 

Freya didn't speak another word, and just gave a small nod of her head. Grillby took one last look at her and Papyrus before leaving the bar. He pushed past the many monsters that questioningly looked at him and scoured every part of Snowdin. Once he was sure that Sans wasn't in town, he left and made way towards Snowdin Forest, bumping into Doggo on the way.

 _'Excuse me, Doggo?'_ Grillby cleared his throat, catching the attention of the sentry that was beside the forest.

 

"Huh? Oh, it's just you pal. What bring you here?" Doggo barked, sniffing the flame to confirm it was him.

 

 _'Have you heard anyone come through here? Preferably running?'_ Grillby questioned.

 

"Hmm....ah, yes! There were a pair of small feet that just ran past here. I think they were headed into the forest. Why?" Doggo tilted his head, his ears drooping.

 

 _'Nothing at all.'_ The bartender replied, before picking up his pace and running into the forest. He tried so hard to follow the small footprints that were fading into the darkness, but with the constant fall of snow, it was hard to tell where Sans had gone. Skidding to a stop before the bridge that separated Snowdin from the Ruins, Grillby took the time to look around for a small figure.

 

 _'Sans? Sans, can you hear me?'_ He called into the forest. Despite the howling of the wind as the snow picked up, Grillby could distinguish it between the rapid, panicked breathing that he could hear in the distance. Pushing through the trees, his eyes settled on Sans' hunched over figure as he breathed heavily, trying his best to keep his breathing at a steady pace.

_'Sans...?'_ Grillby asked, leaning in to place a hand on Sans' shoulder. Just as it was about to make contact, the ten year old leapt back and glared at Grillby with a look he had never seen before. Sans looked absolutely terrified, like someone had....

"4qyn77iO4qer77iO4pmL77iO4o2T77iOIOKZi++4juKspe+4juKZi++4juKNk++4jiDimZDvuI7inZLvuI7ilqHvuI7inY3vuI4g4p2N77iO4pmP77iO8J+TrO+4jg=="

 

The words that came out of Sans' mouth was nothing like any font Grillby had heard. The flame took a step back in surprise, but not before Sans let out a cry of pain and dropped to the snow, clutching his left arm. Grillby didn't hesitate this time and placed a hand on Sans' shoulder.

 

 _'Sans, you're hurt. You need to calm down and-'_ The bartender began. He was cut off by a very strong attack striking him in his leg. Grillby looked down and spotted a bone piercing through his leg, depleting 4 of his HP. In the time he was occupied with his leg, Sans had stepped back a few more steps, his left eye dimly glowing blue.

"4pmT77iOIOKspe+4juKWoe+4juKWoO+4jvCfla/vuI7ip6vvuI4g4peP77iO4pmP77iO4qer77iOIOKNk++4juKWoe+4juKXhu+4jiDimZLvuI7il4bvuI7inZLvuI7ip6vvuI4g4peG77iO4qyn77iOIOKZi++4juKWoO+4juKNk++4juKdje+4juKWoe+4juKdku+4juKZj++4jvCfk6zvuI4=" Sans snarled, struggling to keep his eye sockets open as he was exhausted after that attack. Grillby knew that it would be soon when Sans would collapse and fall unconscious, but until then, he needed to reassure the child.

 

 _'Sans, you are perfectly safe. Nothing bad is happening. Papyrus is safe.'_ Grillby tried. As soon as Papyrus' name slipped out of his mouth, Sans eye flashed brighter as an array of bones appeared by his side.

"11100010 10010111 10111011 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10010111 10001111 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10011001 10001111 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10011001 10001011 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10101100 10100111 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10011001 10001111 11101111 10111000 10001110 11110000 10011111 10010011 10101100 11101111 10111000 10001110 11110000 10011111 10010011 10101100 11101111 10111000 10001110 11110000 10011111 10010011 10101100 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10010111 10111011 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10011001 10001011 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10010111 10111011 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10001101 10010011 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10011101 10010010 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10010111 10000110 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10101100 10100111 11101111 10111000 10001110 00100000 11100010 10011001 10010011 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10101100 10100111 11101111 10111000 10001110 00100000 11100010 10011001 10001011 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10010111 10001111 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10010111 10001111 11101111 10111000 10001110 00100000 11100010 10100111 10101011 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10011001 10010010 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10011001 10001111 11101111 10111000 10001110 00100000 11100010 10011001 10010000 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10011001 10001011 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10011101 10001101 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10011001 10010011 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10010111 10001111 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10001101 10010011 11101111 10111000 10001110 00100000 11100010 10011001 10010011 11101111 10111000 10001110 00100000 11100010 10011001 10010010 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10011001 10001011 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10011101 10010110 11101111 10111000 10001110 11100010 10011001 10001111 11101111 10111000 10001110 11110000 10011111 10010011 10101100 11101111 10111000 10001110 11110000 10011111 10010011 10101100 11101111 10111000 10001110 11110000 10011111 10010011 10101100 11101111 10111000 10001110" Sans breathed out, before his magic faded and he collapsed to the floor. Grillby let out a sigh of relief as he walked over to Sans, carrying in his arms. Concentrating his magic on both souls, Grillby healed them up the best he could.

The bartender had no idea what font Sans had been speaking, but he knew it would be a question for next week. Right now, the two of them needed to get home safely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooooooly cow that took me ages to encode. Good luck with that.
> 
>  
> 
> And yes, Sans did think that Grillby was someone else. What trauma does to you, ladies and gentlemen. Oh yeah, next week is when they meet up with Gerson, but imma just make it next chapter. Christmas in four days baby! Whoooooo!!!


	11. You Two Need A Checkup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The skelebros finally get their checkup and Undyne is an absolute sweetheart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I wanted kid Undyne to seem just a little rebal, but I had to remember that she was around Sans' age, so I couldn't really make her like her adult version. Anyway, enjoy.

"WHERE ARE WE GOING?" Papyrus had asked for the third time that day, raising his arms as Sans pulled on a coat for him to wear. The older was currently dressed in a blue parka that Grillby had handed to him in the morning, and he refused to take it off. Sans had also denied trousers and just picked some cargo shorts, and when the flame asked he just replied that skeletons don't feel cold.

 

"he said a friend's place, right?" Sans answered, helping Papyrus with his red boots. Grillby had asked what his favourite color was and the child has eagerly replied with red, so the bartender happily bought a white shirt with a single red stripe as well as some matching boots.

"WILL WE BE OKAY?" Papyrus asked, as Sans flinched. The elder turned to the side and clicked the buckle, standing back up.

 

"look, grillby will be with us. if the guy doesn't seen good, we'll leave as soon as possible. okay, bro?" Sans strained a smile, hoping that Papyrus would agree. It took him a few moments, but Papyrus nodded and skipped down the stairs. Watching his brother disappear, Sans let out a sigh as he grabbed a pen, scribbling something down into a notepad. Tossing that under the bed, Sans shortcutted to the door, just as Grillby was busy getting his jacket on.

 

 _"You boys ready?"_ He questioned, getting an excited nod from Papyrus and a shrug from Sans. The three of them left the bar and headed over to the docks, Papyrus' hand in Grillby's and Sans just tagging along behind them.

 

"I'VE NEVER SEEN WATERFALL THAT PROPERLY. WE ONLY GOT TO SEE IT A LITTLE BECAUSE WE HAD TO MOVE." Papyrus beamed, oblivious to the way Grillby's grip tightened and Sans skipped a beat in his steps. "OH, BUT I REALLY LIKE THE STARS THERE. AND THE FLOWERS! IT WAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL AND WE GOT TO KINDA RECORD A MESSAGE AND-"

* * *

_"Alright, my friend is a little old so please do not yell. Make sure you do not run."_ Grillby began, but stopped when he noticed Sans was glaring at him. He let out a frustrated sigh and knocked on the door, before it was opened by a small girl. She looked to be a fish monster with bright red hair and a little bit of freckles. She was wearing an orange and yellow striped shirt under a denim dungaree. At the sight of the flame monster and two skeleton children, she scrunched up her nose.

 

"Who're you guys?" She questioned.

 _"My apologies, but I am an old friend of Gerson's. I was hoping to talk to him for a bit."_ Grillby replied. The girl's attention glimpsed at the two brothers before she puffed up her chest in an attempt to look strong.

 

"You don't have any authorisation here." She announced.

 

"Undyne, leave the man alone! What have I told you about wardin off friends?" A raspy voice called, as an old turtle stepped into view. The girl, Undyne, gave a huff of annoyance as she let her hand slip off the doorknob, muttering something and walking back inside the home. Gerson looked at the two brothers, who were currently hiding behind Grillby's back and smiled.

 

"Come on in." Gerson politely said, stepping out of the way to let the new guests.

* * *

After introductions had been made, they began to get onto the matter of things. Well, Undyne had started the conversation.

 

"What are they doing here anyway?" She droned from atop the kitchen counter.

 

"They are here to have a little soul checkup." Gerson replied, not missing how Sans flinched at the way the sentence had been structured.

 

"Oh okay. So what am I supposed to do?" Undyne asked out of pure boredom, bringing the turtle into hysterical laughter.

 

"Wahahaha, Undyne my child. We will get back to your training straight after. This has to come first." Gerson replied, seriousness at the last sentence. When Undyne had skulked off towards the fridge, the two adults turned to the skeleton brothers. "Who wants to go first?"

 

It was silent for a bit, each of them trying to figure out who would go first. Sans figured in his seat, rubbing his hands together as they sweated in all the anxiety. He wanted to go first, to make sure that Papyrus didn't have to be afraid of anything, but something was telling him that it was better for him to go second.

 

"I...I'D LIKE TO GO." Papyrus croaked, scooching in the couch when Sans' skull snapped towards him.

 

"bro...are you sure?" Sans warily asked, his eyelights flickering between him and Gerson.

 

"I'M SURE. I'LL BE FINE, SANS. DON'T WORRY. BESIDES, YOU CAN MAKE A NEW FRIEND." Papyrus replied, wincing as they heard a crash from the kitchen.

 

"Sorry Mr Gerson! It slipped!" Undyne called. The turtle didn't seem to answer, watching as Papyrus stood up.

 

"SHE CAN'T BE THAT BAD." Papyrus smiled. Sans managed a strained smile as the two if them walked into a separate room, the door locking behind them. The older sibling tensed when he felt the couch bob a little downwards, just as Undyne tossed herself onto it. She was crunching on a bunch of popato chisps, and the child wanted some. He must have been making a face because the next thing he knew, the packet was being shoved into his face. Sans looked up to see Undyne watching him warily, before turning away bashfully. He looked at the packet in confusion, before Undyne gave an annoyed groan.

"You better take some before I finish it off myself." She snarled. Sans picked a few out of the bag, placing them into his hands as Undyne took the packet back to herself, setting her feet on the table and tossed a bunch of chisps into her mouth.

 

"that's rude." Sans quietly said, shrinking into his seat when she turned her gaze towards him. But instead of lashing out in anger, she just smiled and laughed.

 

"So what? You were doing it just now." Undyne announced, as Sans looked down at his feet. Indeed, they too were on the table. Quickly taking them off the table, he straightened his posture, slipping a few chisps into his mouth. He felt uncomfortable with the way that he could see Undyne out of his peripheral vision. Sans felt his face grow warmer as he shifted in his seat so the hood of the parka could cover his face.

 

"How do you do that?" Undyne asked, pure interest in her voice. Sans gazed down at her with his eyelights, humming in confusion. "Eat, I mean. You're a skeleton."

 

"i guess i can convert it into magic by absorbing it with my soul.." Sans confessed, and wincing when Undyne slapped her hand on the table.

 

"You can convert food into magic!?" She whisper-yelled, calming down a little when Sans gave her a small nod. She smiled at him and tossed the empty packet into the bin, skipping over towards the piano as Sans watched her with intrigue. "You know how yo play?"

 

Sans jerked in his seat when he heard that question and stood up to join her. "i mean...i think i do?" Sans replied, his question still filled with uncertainty. Undyne gave him a brief gaze of confusion before moving up in the seat, patting it with her small hand. Sans sat on the edge of the leather seat and gazed at all the keys on the piano. They were so clean that Sans could see his own reflection in it.

 

"Try doing your favourite medley." Undyne suggested, as Sans hovered his hand over the keys, taking a few deep breaths. He didn't really know what he was doing, but he wanted to...impress her? Pressing his hands down, he played a medley he had known for ages, but wasn't quiet sure where. "I love this album!"

 

Sans couldn't hold back a smile at that as he continued to play, as if he was reciting his stats to Grillby. Huh...that was a weird metaphor. Why had it been...?

* * *

_Sans sat at a piano, furiously tapping the keys in a tune he had been forced to play over and over again. He could barely hear the scribbling of a pencil over the scratching keys._

 

_"Subject 1-S stll canNot seem to proceSs a sImple Tune. It seems thAt Subject 2-P is mOre capable of memorising and visuaLising cerTain keys. This WilL have to be deLayed."_

* * *

The sweet melody of the Sony had been interrupted by a long press on a deep key as Sans jumped in his seat. His breathing had become rapid and his mind was scattered. Where was he? Where was Papyrus!?

 

_Calm down, Sans. You're fine. Just like Grillby taught you. in..._

 

Sans took a sharp inhale of air, shutting his eye sockets and ignoring Undyne's calling, focusing in his breathing.

 

_There we go, you're doing good. Now out..._

 

Sans exhaled the air he had placed into his nonexistent lungs.

 

_In....out...in...o-...out....in..._

 

Ca-...can't...

 

_Yes, you can. Just keep trying._

 

Can't... p-...papyr....

 

_Papyrus is fine, he just went in to get checked up. You need to stop falling apart in front of Undyne._

 

.....

 

_Okay, let's try again. In..._

 

Sans managed to take concentrated breaths, before his breathing had come to a normal pace. He finally opened up his eye sockets when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

 

"You okay?" Undyne gently asked. Sans opened his mouth to reply, when the two of them heard the door clicking open and the others came out. Papyrus came out skipping with a lollipop and giggling towards Sans. The elder managed to give his brother a weak smile as the two hugged.

 

"how was it, paps?" Sans asked, suppressing his anxiety.

 

"IT WAS REALLY FUN! I'M TALLER THAN MOST KIDS SANS! DID YOU HEAR THAT?" Papyrus giddily asked, as Sans let out a laugh.

 

"sure did, bro. loud and clear." Sans nodded. Papyrus turned his gaze towards Undyne, who kept shooting Sans concerned glares as his expression fell.

 

"I'M SORRY. DID MY BROTHER ANNOY YOU WITH HIS DASTARDLY PUNS?" Papyrus questioned.

 

"Wh-What, no actually-" Undyne sputtered, but she was interrupted by an adult.

 

"Were you teaching him piano, Undyne?" Gerson questioned, observing how the two of then were sat atop the leather seat.

 

"Uh...y-yeah...teaching.." Undyne replied, a bit too quietly.

 

"Alright then, Sans. It's your turn. Be good, Papyrus." Gerson announced, helping Sans off the seat.

 

"GOODBYE, MR GERSON! THANK YOU! I'LL SEE YOU SOON, SANS!" Papyrus called, waving his hand in the air. His genuine smile and innocent eyes was the last thing Sans saw before those doors shut before him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, Sans is up next and that little breakdown was annoying to write. There's a little clue somewhere here, but you gotta find it. Sorry, but that's just the way I work.


End file.
